Fort Words was a public art installation created to celebrate the unique character and historic significance of Fort Worden State Park, in Port Townsend WA.
This temporary installation consisted of a series of quotes drawn from local oral histories, collections of historic texts, and public testimonials to give voice to these battery sites and share stories of the Forts dynamic history with park visitors.
“…there is a magical energy here and each installation shares a different story related to these old bunkers. It’s like a trail of breadcrumbs, shown as stencils on the walls to inspire curiosity and encourage exploration of the fort — for people to discover, contemplate, and photograph.”
This collection of quotes (23 in all) were scattered throughout each of the decommissioned battery sites, to inspire explorations, inspire curiosity, and increase our collective appreciation for this extraordinary historic treasure.
Fort Words was developed in collaboration with Centrum with content support from Jefferson County Historical Society, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, and the Coast Auxiliary Museum. Special project support was provided from the Fort Worden Public Development Authority and the Friends of Fort Worden, with fabrication support from Ignition Arts, funding support from the Port Townsend Arts Commission, and permitting support from Washington State Parks — Fall 2020.
For more information see Design Boom, PT Leader, Peninsula Daily News, Centrum ON A-I-R, (part 1 / part 2) — or the Fort Words Project Website.
