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Bellingham Arts Commission

BEL-ART-2025-04-01 April 01, 2025 Arts Commission City of Bellingham
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The Bellingham Arts Commission conducted a comprehensive review of multiple public art proposals during their April 1st meeting, focusing primarily on three downtown activation and beautification grant projects managed by Paper Whale nonprofit. The meeting demonstrated the Commission's advisory role in balancing artistic vision with practical considerations like traffic safety, maintenance, and community sensitivity. The most significant development involved the Lakeway Drive underpass mural, where commissioners raised concerns about religious symbolism in the design and requested revisions before final approval. The proposed design by artists Jamie Molina and Pedro Barrios featured what commissioners perceived as a prominent cross-like element that could appear exclusionary, prompting a request to modify the central "T" formation while maintaining the overall Whatcom theme. Commissioners also reviewed the Railroad Avenue garage mural by 2024 Noisy Waters People's Choice winner Nora Brun, approving the hyper-realistic peony flower concept with a minor revision to darken the white elements at ground level to reduce maintenance concerns. The Commission demonstrated practical thinking about longevity and upkeep of public art installations. The Setting Sun Alley activation project received enthusiastic support for its comprehensive approach to transforming the alley between the Pickford Cinema and Spark Museum into an arts destination. The ambitious project includes light boxes by Nikki McClure, mounted panels by Stevie Xiao, metal mesh installations, and connections to the annual Mural Festival. Commissioners appreciated the collaborative approach with existing businesses and the phased implementation timeline through August. The Commission also addressed the Lettered Streets neighborhood signs, providing feedback on typography and readability while emphasizing their advisory role rather than requiring repeated revisions. The nocturnal lanterns project for the What

**Lakeway Drive Underpass Mural:** No vote taken; staff directed to return with revised design addressing cross-like symbolism concerns and clarifying use of indigenous language elements. Artists to modify central "T" formation and confirm approach to Whatcom/Lummi language incorporation. **Railroad Avenue Garage Mural:** Approved with minor revision (unanimous vote). Staff recommendation aligned with Commission decision. Modification requested to darken white flower elements at ground level for maintenance purposes. Final design to maintain hyper-realistic peony style by artist Nora Brun. **Setting Sun Alley Activation:** No formal vote recorded; positive reception for concept with request for design update…

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The meeting revealed ongoing tensions between artistic vision and practical municipal concerns. The Lakeway mural discussion highlighted sensitivity around religious symbolism in public art, with commissioners noting that the perceived cross formation could appear exclusionary in a diverse community. This led to substantive discussion about how public art should serve all residents while maintaining artistic integrity. Indigenous representation emerged as a complex issue when Paper Whale indicated they would likely remove Lummi language elements from the Lakeway mural due to concerns about non-indigenous artists representing indigenous language. Public commenters expressed disappointment, advocating for broader consultation beyond individual advisors. The discussion revealed the need for more systemat…
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**Paper Whale (Nick)** presented three projects with enthusiasm for community placemaking while showing flexibility on design modifications. Demonstrated responsiveness to safety and maintenance feedback while maintaining artistic vision. Indicated willingness to revise Lakeway design and provide updates on Setting Sun Alley progress. **Arts Commissioners** balanced artistic appreciation with practical concerns. Eric provided specific typography guidance for signage design. Patricia emphasized the advisory nature of the Commission's role. Multiple commissioners raised maintenance and symbolism concerns while supporting overall artistic concepts. **Museum Staff (Amy)** advocated for sophisticated art appropriate for the museum setting rather than children-focused designs. Emphasized integration with museum mission and visitor expe…
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**Eric, on sign design principles:** "When you look at signage, like say if you're imagining you're driving on I-5 and you're looking at signs, it's like same size, same color, same positioning. That assigned sensibility is that like it's not like size 12 font, size 72 font, size 24 font—it would be more consistency between those." **Patricia, on Commission's role:** "Just remember that Arts Commission is an advisory body. You don't have to keep coming back to the Arts Commission until the Ar…
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**May Arts Commission Meeting:** Paper Whale to present revised Lakeway mural design addressing cross symbolism and indigenous language consultation. Timeline allows for July installation if approved. **June Meeting:** Setting Sun Alley project to provide detailed design updates with contracted artists Stevie Xiao and Nikki McClure. Project timeline extends through August installation. **Museum Lanterns Project:** Site meeting scheduled between Amy and Heather to refine concept details. Tourism Commission has approved full funding for 40-foot installation. **Commiss…

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The Commission moved from individual project reviews toward more systematic thinking about public art processes. The indigenous consultation discussion revealed gaps in current practices, potentially leading to more comprehensive consultation frameworks for future projects. Three major projects advanced through the approval pipeline, with the nocturnal lanterns and railroad garage mural receiving full approval while the Lakeway mural requires revision. The Setting Sun Alley activation gained momentum with confirmed funding and artist contracts in development. …
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## Meeting Overview The Bellingham Arts Commission convened on April 1, 2025, for what became a comprehensive three-hour session addressing several major public art projects across the city. All commission members were present, creating a full panel to review concepts for three downtown beautification initiatives, neighborhood signage, and a museum installation. The meeting's length reflected both the complexity of the projects under consideration and the commission's thorough approach to providing artistic guidance on public investments. What made this meeting particularly significant was the breadth of projects spanning from major mural installations to intimate neighborhood identity markers, each requiring different levels of artistic oversight and community sensitivity. The commission grappled with questions of cultural representation, artistic integrity, and practical maintenance concerns that would define these works for years to come. ## Lakeway Drive Mural Concept Review The evening began with Nick from Paper Whale presenting refined concepts for a major mural installation in the Lakeway Drive underpass beneath I-5. This project, part of the downtown beautification and activation grant program, represented a high-visibility opportunity to create an artistic gateway to Bellingham. The proposed design featured water themes flowing across both the north and south walls, with the north side representing currents, rivers, and tides as traffic heads west toward the sea, while the south side depicted the landscape where "the sharp hills of the Chuckanuts and the islands meet the water." One wall would show sun while the other displayed clouds and rain, "capturing the climate of our region." However, the design sparked immediate concerns from commissioners about religious symbolism. The word "Whatcom" was integrated into both walls in a way that created what appeared to be a prominent cross in the center of the composition. As one commissioner observed, "It also has a kind of a Christian bouquet to it... I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, and that's very much vibing with me like church stained glass windows... the cross in the center." The potential for misinterpretation was significant given the mural's prominence. "This is probably one of the most important mural locations. It's very visible that we have," noted a commissioner. "It's really important to make sure we get it right." The design had originally included directional hands pointing…
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### Meeting Overview The Bellingham Arts Commission met on April 1, 2025, to review several public art projects including murals, an alley activation, and nocturnal lantern installations. The meeting focused heavily on design concepts and approval processes for downtown beautification projects funded through grants. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Downtown Activation and Beautification Grant:** A city funding program that supports temporary and semi-permanent art installations to enhance downtown areas. Several projects discussed at this meeting were funded through this program. **Papel Picado:** Traditional Mexican decorative banners made of paper or fabric, cut with intricate designs. In this meeting, a metal mesh version was proposed for the Setting Sun Alley project. **Dichroic Film:** A NASA-invented material that changes colors depending on the viewing angle and lighting conditions. Proposed for use in the nocturnal lantern project to create dynamic color effects. **People's Choice Award:** A community voting system used at the Noisy Waters Mural Festival where attendees vote for their favorite artist, who then receives a prize wall for a larger mural project. **MDO (Medium Density Overlay):** An exterior-grade plywood material used for outdoor mural panels that can withstand weather conditions while providing a smooth painting surface. **Anti-graffiti Coating:** A protective sealant applied to murals to make graffiti removal easier and protect the artwork from vandalism. **Semi-permanent Installation:** Art projects that are not part of the permanent public art collection, allowing for different durability standards and easier removal or replacement if needed. **Quatquim:** The Lushootseed word for "Whatcom," which was originally proposed for inclusion in a mural but later removed due to concerns about non-Indigenous artists representing Indigenous language. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Nick (Paper Whale) | Executive Director of Paper Whale nonprofit, presenting multiple mural projects | | Darby | City staff member facilitating the meeting | | Natalie Baloy | Representative from Lettered Streets Neighborhood Association | | Heather | Artist presenting the nocturnal lanterns concept | | Caro…
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Government Operations Arts Commission Lettered Streets Neighborhood Noisy Waters Festival Paper Whale Pickford Cinema Spark Museum Whatcom Museum Amy Museum Andrew Molitor Carol Rofkar Darby Gallegos Heather Artist Natalie Baloy Nick Partridge Place Lakeway Underpass Place Railroad Avenue Garage Place Setting Sun Alley Advisory Processes Art Maintenance Community Engagement Downtown Activation Indigenous Consultation Mural Festival Public Art Projects Religious Symbolism