Mushroom Sculptures Arise at Troll Park

Erupting on the walkway of the Troll park in Fremont are new concrete mushrooms, embedded in the lush forest of what was once a homeless encampment.

Now it is part of the new Troll Forest, built above the east side of the Fremont troll.

The mushroom lantern sculptures are the latest park enhancements, built by noted sculptor Haiying Wu, who also built the firefighters memorial in Pioneer Square. Wu has been hired to build a statue of Nisqually leader Billy Frank Jr, which will appear in the National Statuary Hall in Washington D.C. (replacing the Marcus Whitman statue) and also in Olympia. The mushroom project cost about $10,000.

The mushrooms, near a planted mushroom patch in the park, were designed by artist Michiko Tanaka, who designed the turtle in the park.

Wu, 61, has been sculpting since 1986 and said it took about six months to create the mushroom lanterns.

There will be a reception for the mushroom sculptures Saturday from noon to 2 at the park.