Artwork copyright Peter Richards and Sue Richards. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission.

Artwork copyright Peter Richards and Sue Richards. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission.

Artwork copyright Peter Richards and Sue Richards. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission.

Artwork copyright Peter Richards and Sue Richards. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Peter Richards and Sue Richards. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Wind Riders, 2002

Peter Richards and Sue Richards
Peter Richards (American, born 1944); Sue Richards (American, born 1944)

Location: Washington State University - Tri Cities, Richland

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Wind is a strong natural phenomenon in the Tri-Cities area of Southeastern Washington. Local Native American stories tell of the struggles between warm and cold winds the area. This relationship between wind and the surrounding landscape inspired Wind Riders by Peter Richards and Sue Richards. This installation is located along the bike path at the Washington State University's Tri-Cities Campus. It is comprised of three wind vanes made from repurposed bicycles. The artists mounted the bicycles to 20-foot poles, which swing freely to show the direction of the prevailing wind. Next to the poles are a bench and a bronze water fountain shaped like a wooden barrel. The installation encourages bicyclists (and everyone) to stop for a drink of water and enjoy the views and landscape.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Washington State University.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist team Peter Richards and Sue Richards collaborate on large-scale public art installations. They approach each site individually, creating a unique visual language for the project. They are based in Oakland, California.

Peter Richards earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (1966) from Colorado College and a Master of Fine Arts degree (1969) from the Rinehart School of Sculpture at the Maryland Institute College of Art. He has served as a professor at Stanford University and at the San Francisco Art Institute (both in California). He has served as Senior Artist Emeritus at the Exploratorium in San Francisco since 2011.

Sue Richards earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado College in 1966. She was the gallery manager for the Weigand Gallery at the College of Notre Dame in Belmont, California from 1989 to 1998. She later worked as an events manager at the Tryon Center for Visual Art in Charlotte, North Carolina. In addition to her art practice, she works as as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher in San Francisco, California.