PCC Community Markets' New Stores to Feature Local Art

PCC Community Markets (PCC), the largest community-owned food market in the United States, has revealed the local artists whose work will be displayed at its new Downtown Seattle store and relocated Kirkland, Wash., location when they open early next year. The Downtown store will feature carvings by Andrea M. Wilbur-Sligo, of the Squaxin Island Tribe, while the Kirkland store will have an installation from Mary Iverson.

The first known woman carver of many generations of carvers in the Coast Salish style, Wilbur-Sigo has created “A Way of Life,” a work consisting of two house post wooden carvings mounted on the interior dining area wall in the Seattle store. The house posts depict two individuals and convey the connection between people and the environment.

Noted Wilbur-Sigo: “My work explores the balance between the environment and industrial activities, inspiring conversations about our complicated relationship with nature. I chose to collaborate with PCC because of their focus on sustainability in their products and even in-store design. I am pleased to have this opportunity to share these carvings with the PCC community – bringing nature into an industrial space.”

Five columns with hand-glazed ceramic tiles representing “World Tablecloths” will greet customers in the new Kirkland PCC seating area. Each column features a tablecloth design inspired by the textile patterns of a unique cultural mix that’s part of the community makeup of Kirkland: Coast Salish, Nordic, India, Japan and England. 

“As a group, the columns support this gathering space and celebrate the communities that have come together to create the city of Kirkland,” explained Iverson. “A tablecloth is the underlying fabric that makes a meal special, weaving colors and symbols with family traditions. PCC is such a special part of the community: as a space for neighbors to gather in, or the source of the food they bring home to their tables to serve friends and family. I appreciate the opportunity to bring this work to the Kirkland community and hope to inspire their table conversations.”

PCC first featured local art in its Ballard, Wash., store as part of the co-op’s efforts to be recognized by the International Living Future Institute as Living Building Challenge (LBC) Petal-Certified, the world’s most rigorous green building standard. Ballard PCC became the first LBC Petal-Certified grocery store in the world last year, while the co-op’s locations in West Seattle and Bellevue were Petal-Certified earlier in 2021.

To earn LBC certification for its stores, PCC met stringent requirements for the Materials, Place and Beauty Petals. Working with local artists to design meaningful art installations was an important part of meeting the Beauty Petal requirements. 

The grocer is actively working toward LBC Petal Certification for its new Downtown and relocated Kirkland locations following their openings early next year.

Seattle-based PCC Community Markets operates 15 stores in the Puget Sound area, including the cities of Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Edmonds, Issaquah, Kirkland, Redmond and Seattle. Besides the Kirkland relocation and new Downtown store, the co-op plans to open a new location in Madison Valley.