Acid Ball 

Working in collaboration with the City of Bellingham, Mutuus Studios transformed one of the city’s most beloved historical artifacts into an interactive, public art piece. The Acid Ball was once an acid accumulator that relieved pressure from the defunct GP paper mill, pulp digesters. The 200-ton Ball from its original location, over 1000 feet to the water’s edge. Moving the Ball into a public park required retrofitting its legs to stabilize it in case of an earthquake. AE fabricated and installed the steel cross-bracing between the old legs. The Ball was then coated in retroreflective glass beads. The glass beads are the same reflective material used on roadways. When light hits the Ball it bounces back in the same direction it came from, creating a personal experience for each viewer. To best experience this unique phenomena, visit the Acid Ball at night and view it with a high-powered flashlight on your forehead. After many years of limited access to the downtown waterfront, Bellingham celebrated the opening of Waypoint Park in August 2018.