So I took a walk into the new Sculpture Garden this weekend. Maybe y’all already knew and it’s been like this for weeks, but it was basically wide open. Soft launch, I guess. The little Serra valley definitely the coolest spot. And the ridiculous Oldenburg typewriter thing safely turned into a piece of roadside kitsch by being stationed out of the way, along Elliott Ave. As a public space–wow. Gorgeous bookend to downtown, design that amazingly embraces an odd swath of hillside. But all the concrete panels are a bit much. And I can’t quite make out what the plan is for landscaping the place. It’s quite barren now. With no benches or shade, seems like it’s going to be blazing hot in summer and windy and cold in winter. And with a relatively low concentration of art per step taken, I wonder how much tourist appeal this place will really have–I mean, once it stops dramatically altering the international art scene (as the Seattle Times informed us yesterday.) Tourists can enjoy a better view from Steinbrueck Park. And without the benefit of dog-walkers and joggers, I wonder if this big open space will turn into a no-man’s land before long. But for now–wow!