The paint has little glass beads in it, and is only sold to governments, but it's the stuff that will make the new stained-glass installment shine at the Bayview Retirement Community in Queen Anne.
David McKean is the facilities manager at the Bayview Retirement Community and when he watched the small crew from Japan install the stained glass art project created by artist Keiko Miura, he knew it needed quality back-lighting to do it justice.
So he talked to local theater people and people who work at local museums and asked how they illuminate art. One idea that came up was to use a kind of paint that is reflective, that uses small glass beads to diffuse the light. It's the same stuff that 's found on movie screens and on crosswalks.
"It's really been a challenge," McKean said of his search for the material. After searching online, he found the paint he was looking for, a silver/white mixture that has a mirror-like finish. He is currently installing track lighting to fully illuminate the work of art.
It's called the "Tree of Life" and was largely donated by a single donor, a 95-year-old man, who, until its unveiling, will remain anonymous. But this person is a resident of Bayview and is dedicating the artwork to his wife. He donated $110,000, while 140 others raised $10,000.
The dedication ceremonies of the artwork took place yesterday, while a more formal event will happen on Nov. 9.
Jan Anderson, director of pastoral services at Bayview, has been working on getting the artwork to the facility for three years. She likened the effort to having a second job and was happy to see it come to fruition.
"We're thrilled and I'm delighted that it's finally here," she said, smiling, looking at the colorful leaves of the magnolia trees featured on the artwork.
Artist Keiko Miura who lives in Kobe, Japan, was scheduled to fly to Seattle and help her crew unpack the panels and install the work. But she fell ill and gave instructions to Yokoyama. Yokoyama and a small crew finished the installation over the weekend.[[In-content Ad]]
