Carter made his mark in Redmond: Longtime resident’s wood carvings on display at library

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By Mary Stevens Decker • July 2, 2009 11:07 am
Longtime Redmond resident Dudley Carter was born in Canada and achieved acclaim for his woodcarving inspired by the Indian tribes of British Columbia. He died in 1992 at the age of 100.
Longtime Redmond resident Dudley Carter was born in Canada and achieved acclaim for his woodcarving inspired by the Indian tribes of British Columbia. He died in 1992 at the age of 100.

The City of Redmond Arts Commission, in partnership with the Redmond Historical Society and <a href="http://www.4culture.org"King County’s 4Culture, presents “Early Drawings by Dudley Carter,” an exhibition on loan from the Carter family at Redmond City Hall, 15670 NE 85th St.

An opening reception will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 9.

A longtime Redmond resident, Carter was born in Canada and achieved acclaim for his woodcarvings inspired by Indian tribes of British Columbia. He died in 1992 at the age of 100.

Carter’s sculpture “The Legend of the Moon” stands near the west entrance of King County’s Marymoor Park, off West Lake Sammamish Parkway in Redmond.

Two more Carter sculptures, “Rivalry of the Winds” and “Bird Woman” are on loan at the Redmond Regional Library, 15990 NE 85th St.

Along with Diego Rivera, Carter participated in the “Art-in-Action” program at the San Francisco World’s Fair of 1939-40. His sculpture “The Ram” from that exhibition was later donated to the City College of San Francisco. Another Carter sculpture from the World’s Fair, “Goddess of the Forest” stood in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park until 1986.

While the Redmond arts community enjoys Carter’s early drawings, city park planners are hoping to restore and preserve his former residence and studio called Haida House, located at Slough Park. It’s near the Sammamish River Trail, at the intersection of Leary Way and 159th Place Northeast. The park was transferred from King County to the City of Redmond in 2005. Carter had been King County Parks’ first “artist-in-residence” and regularly interacted with park visitors.

Haida House, constructed without nails or hardware, is currently boarded-up but carvings on the building’s exterior are visible.

Slough Park/Dudley Carter Site Master Plan concepts and themes will be presented in Council Chambers at City Hall from 7-8:30 p.m Thursday, July 9. The meeting is open to the public.

To view the Haida House property and Slough Park, click here