As his 17-foot-tall bronze welcome figure settled onto its pedestal at the Salmon Bay Natural Area July 14, artist Marvin Oliver turned to his family and helpers and beamed.

The statue – meant to celebrate Puget Sound salmon and local indigenous cultures as well as draw attention to the natural area located near the Ballard Locks at the street end of 34th Avenue Northwest – was first announced June 2009. Since that time, the project suffered a number of fits and starts.

Groundswell NW, the nonprofit that partnered with the city to bring the welcome figure to Ballard, originally planned to have it installed in fall 2009. The installation was then postponed to early June 2010 before being moved to this week.

"I don't consider them delays," said Oliver, an artist of Quinault heritage and a curator at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. "For me, it's right on time."

Oliver said Groundswell NW came to him with the idea of a welcome figure for the salmon. He took their idea and came up with the bronze figure, wearing a woven tunic and cedar bark hat, that will be holding a colorful glass and aluminum representation of salmon and eggs.

"It's really quite impressive," he said. "I'm really excited about how it turned out."

As well as to give thanks to the migrating salmon, Oliver said he sees it as a greeting to visitors. Typically, a welcome figure is placed in a conspicuous place near a village to welcome outsiders, he said.

Oliver has done many public works from Italy to Japan to the United States. He said he enjoys sharing his work in a public fashion. Working with the public and taking their suggestions is what makes many of his pieces so successful, he said.

"Each project takes on a life of its own, in that respect," he said.

Oliver said he does not just create art for art's sake. He is attached to each of his pieces and is inspired by that personal connection to his work. He said he will return to visit them and enjoy them with his children again and again.

Ballard resident Candace Jarrett, who has lived near the Salmon Bay Natural Area for more than 20 years, watched the statue being installed while weeding the public area. She said the welcome figure, as well as all the improvements made from the Ballard Locks to Golden Gardens, brings pride, joy and fun to the neighborhood.

"It's transformative," she said.

Before improvements to the Salmon Bay Natural Area and along Seaview Avenue Northwest, the area was shabby and neglected, Jarrett said. Now, there is an increased connection between the neighborhood, the water and the salmon, she said.

Groundswell NW will be holding a dedication ceremony for the welcome figure at 10 a.m. July 17. Duwamish tribal leader Cecile Hanson will be on hand to honor the unique artistry of the Salish people and people’s connection to the landscape.

The Salmon Bay Natural Area is part of a collective effort with Seattle Public Utilities and other agencies to preserve the habitat for the life cycle of Puget Sound salmon.