Rico Worl, a local artist whom the City and Borough of Juneau approached for design ideas for a street intersection, said one thing in particular stuck out to him about that downtown area that weekend day in October 2017. “I ended up just sitting there and figuring out what that corner felt like,” Worl said in his design studio downtown Tuesday. “What I discovered is when you are on foot in downtown Juneau, you are probably going to go through that intersection. When I was out there, it was just nonstop. It was like a public gathering space just by circumstance.”

Worl said the lines represent the flow of water at the intersection, and the fish stamps represent the people “swimming through the water” of that intersection. From above, the intersection represents a salmon fin. However, he said the design is something that is meant to be taken in at ground level “where you feel the flowing lines.”

The intersection is the biggest of the new art projects in the City and Borough of Juneau Downtown Street Improvements Project. Worl worked with city Chief Landscape Architect Michele Effers and Project Engineer Lori Sowa on the project. CBC Construction, Inc., Southeast Earthmovers, Compass Construction and DOWL, an engineering consultant, constructed the designs. The concept, Worl said, stems from making that part of downtown a “cultural district.” While Tlingit art is showcased now, Worl said the space may broaden into other cultural histories associated with Juneau.

Designing the intersection meant more than just doing the artwork. Worl said the project was a learning experience about street architecture. He had to learn details about vehicle turn radius and what portions of the project fit in where.

“It was about knowing what makes an intersection work,” Worl said. “Trying to be aware of both was a huge learning curve.”

He said he watched the intersection design “in very slow motion,” and the project changed from what he initially envisioned.

“I got a text one day that one of the construction workers thought there should be more fish stamps down and I said, ‘Yes, please,’” Worl said. “Another thing I noticed is that some of the fish have slits for eyes. I don’t know who it was, but it was probably somebody in the construction crew who thought these fish needed eyes and took a little bit of ownership of that.”

Worl has guided the downtown projects. He said that he asked other local artists to contribute to the plans as part of a collaboration effort. Worl worked with Clarissa Rizal on the first medallion showcasing the Tlingit core cultural values on South Franklin Street. That medallion has a Tlingit script that states “Haa Shuká,” which represents honoring our ancestors and future generations.

The other finished medallion, which sits on the northwest corner of the Front Street and Seward Street intersection, features art by Crystal Worl. In the fall, another medallion sharing the phrase “Haa Shuká” will be at the triangle intersection of Franklin and Front. Worl is working with Alison Marks on that one. Christy NaMee Eriksen lettered all the medallion designs. Adam Dimmitt contributed by cutting all the metal on the medallions.