Search toggle
Contact toggle
Contact toggle
Search toggle
Say hello.
Focus Str. 5th Ave, 98/2 34746 Manhattan, New York
+1 222 44 55
hello@acme.com
What are you looking for?
Real Briefings

City of Bellingham Arts Commission

BEL-ART-2025-05-06 May 06, 2025 Arts Commission City of Bellingham 46 min
← Back to All Briefings
May
Month
06
Day
46
Min
Published
Status

The Bellingham Arts Commission convened with a reduced quorum of three members to hear presentations on two significant public art initiatives and make key decisions on ongoing projects. The meeting highlighted the intersection of indigenous cultural representation, downtown revitalization, and the practical challenges of managing the city's existing art collection. The evening's most compelling presentation came from Children of the Setting Sun Productions, showcasing their Coast Salish Interactive Living Mural — an ambitious 80-foot by 20-foot installation planned for the new indigenous cultural space at the former Mine Port Building. Artists Pre Borsi and Roy Alexander detailed not only the traditional painted mural depicting the historic Whatcom village site, but also innovative projection technology that would animate the artwork at night with phosphorescent salmon, soaring eagles, and traditional stories coming to life. The commission also reviewed the Downtown Bellingham Partnership's comprehensive art plan for the Commercial Street parking garage, a project born from years of ad-hoc art installations that lacked cohesion. The partnership's five-month collaborative process with 10 local artists, architects, and designers produced a framework for transforming the concrete structure into a vibrant gateway that reflects "our passion for our city." Two administrative matters rounded out the agenda: approving a percent-for-art approach for the new Wilburn park facility, and addressing the deteriorated state of a 20-year-old wooden sculpture at Big Rock Garden Park. The latter sparked discussion about proper protocols for deaccessioning artwork, with commissioners emphasizing the importance of artist notification and community partnership.

**Coast Salish Interactive Living Mural:** No formal vote required - presentation for community feedback and transparency. Project funded through downtown activation and beautification grant program to Children of the Setting Sun Productions. **Commercial Street Parking Garage Art Concept:** Commission voted to recommend approval to the mayor for adoption as internal guidance document. Motion passed with present commissioners approving the framework approach. **Wilburn Percent for Art Approach:** Commission approved moving forward with percent-for-art approach for the …

About 49% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
The Coast Salish mural presentation illuminated important conversations about cultural appropriation and artistic authenticity in Pacific Northwest indigenous art. Pre Borsi emphasized the distinction between Salish art forms native to this territory versus the Northern formline style more commonly associated with Pacific Northwest art. "This territory doesn't practice Northern formline which you see... That's actually a Southeast Alaska, Northern British Columbia art style," Borsi explained. The discussion revealed how contemporary Salish artists navigate between traditional practices and modern artistic expression while maintaining cultural integrity. The parking garage project represented a new model for collaborative public art planning. Rather than issuing specific project RFPs, the partnership developed what they termed a "framework" approach — providing structural guidance while preserving artistic freedom. As Lindsay Payne Johnston explained, "We don'…
About 49% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
**Children of the Setting Sun Productions** presented their mural as both cultural education and technological innovation. Pre Borsi and Roy Alexander emphasized the importance of representing authentic Salish artistic traditions while incorporating contemporary techniques like projection mapping to bring traditional stories to life. They positioned the work as correcting common misconceptions about indigenous Pacific Northwest art. **Downtown Bellingham Partnership** advocated for a systematic approach to garage beautification after years of piecemeal installations. Natalie and Lindsay positioned their framework as balancing structure with flexibility, providing enough guidance to ensure cohesion while preserving individual artistic vision. **Commiss…
About 50% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
**Pre Borsi, on cultural authenticity:** "This territory doesn't practice Northern formline which you see, you know, it's like the ovoids, the trigones all stacked together. That's actually a Southeast Alaska, Northern British Columbia art style, called Northern formline." **Pre Borsi, on artistic philosophy:** "Our elders taught us that you look at the being, and it's perfect in its creation, and you do very little to change it, because you're humble, you're to be humble." **Lindsay Payne …
About 49% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →

**Immediate Actions:** Staff will make enhanced efforts to contact artist Lee regarding the Big Rock sculpture deaccessioning within 30 days. Parks Department will address any immediate safety concerns at the sculpture site before Mother's Day weekend events. **June Meeting:** Commission will review results of artist outreach efforts and make final decision on Big Rock sculpture removal. Staff plans to present two additional percent-for-art projects for approval: Parkview Elementary roundabout corridor and Padden Creek barrier removal projects. **Ongoing Projects:** Combined …

About 50% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
**Coast Salish Mural:** Project received informal community input and commission feedback, moving forward with production phase at Setting Sun Alley location with interactive projection components confirmed. **Parking Garage Framework:** Comprehensive art guidance document approved for internal city adoption, replacing previous ad-hoc approach to garage art installations. Framework includes specific surface priorities, estimated costs ($105,000 for main surfaces), and recommended color palettes. **Wilburn Project:** Approved for percent-for-art approach with enhanced location flexi…
About 49% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
# Meeting Overview The Bellingham Arts Commission convened virtually on the evening of May 6th, 2025, with three of five commissioners present: Eric (Chair), Jodi Bento, and Philip (noted as Patricia in error during introductions). The meeting drew more guests than usual, reflecting the significance of two major public art presentations on the agenda: a Coast Salish interactive living mural by Children of the Setting Sun Productions, and a comprehensive beautification plan for the Commercial Street parking garage by the Downtown Bellingham Partnership. This meeting represented a significant moment for indigenous representation in Bellingham's public art landscape, marking what presenters noted was the first officially designated indigenous cultural space in the city. The gathering also demonstrated the commission's evolving approach to public engagement, bringing projects forward for community input even when they fall outside the commission's direct regulatory authority. ## The Coast Salish Living Mural — A Cultural Awakening The evening's centerpiece was a presentation by Pre Borsi and Roy Alexander from Children of the Setting Sun Productions, accompanied by Darby from the city's arts team. Pre Borsi, a member of the Lemmi Nation, began with a personal reflection on his artistic journey: "I've been doing salish art for as long as I can remember, appropriately doing salish art for the last 10 years, and the reason I say that is because my introduction to salish art was inappropriate in being that I was actually practicing Northern form line." This candid admission opened a deeper conversation about cultural appropriation in Pacific Northwest art. Roy Alexander, representing the Nooksack Indian Tribe, elaborated on this critical distinction: "This territory doesn't practice Northern Farm line which you see, you know, it's like the ovoids, the trigones all stacked together. That's actually a Southeast Alaska, Northern British Columbia art style, called Northe…
About 14% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
### Meeting Overview The Bellingham Arts Commission met on May 6, 2025, with three of five commissioners present (Jody, Philip, and Eric). The commission reviewed two major public art projects and made decisions on several ongoing art initiatives, including Coast Salish murals, parking garage beautification, and artwork removal protocols. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Coast Salish Art:** Traditional art style specific to the Pacific Northwest region, characterized by abstract designs and minimal patterns, different from Northern Formline art styles. Used by Indigenous peoples of this territory for generations. **Percent for Art:** A city program that allocates a percentage of public construction project budgets for commissioning public artwork. Most of Bellingham's current collection predates this program, which began in 2015. **Deaccessioning:** The formal process of removing artwork from a public collection, requiring documentation, artist notification, and commission approval according to adopted city policies. **Downtown Activation Grant:** City funding program supporting projects that enliven and beautify downtown spaces, used to fund the Coast Salish mural and other community art initiatives. **RFQ (Request for Qualifications):** The first step in commissioning public art, where artists submit their credentials and experience to be considered for shortlisting before submitting specific project proposals. **Setting Sun Alley:** The branded name for an alley space that will feature coordinated public art installations, including both Coast Salish murals and Paper Whale projects. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Eric | Arts Commission Chair | | Jody Bento | Arts Commissioner | | Philip | Arts Commissioner | | Darby | Arts Commission Staff | | Taylor | Arts Commission Staff | | Carol Rofkar | Parks Department Staff | | Pre Borsi | Coast Salish artist, Children of the Setting Sun Productions | | Roy Alexander | Coast Salish artist, Nooksack Indian Tribe | | Natalie | Downtown Bellingham Partnership Community Engagement Manager | | Lindsay Payne Johnston | Downtown Bellingham Partnership Executive Director | ### Background Context This meetin…
About 50% shown — premium members only Upgrade to premium →

Share This Briefing

Tags & Connections

Parks & Recreation Economic Development Government Operations Bellingham Arts Commission Children Of The Setting Sun Productions City Of Bellingham Downtown Bellingham Partnership Paper Whale Parks Department Blake Hudson Carol Rofkar Darby Eric Eric Chair Jody Bento Lindsay Payne Johnston Natalie Philip Pre Borsi Roy Alexander Taylor Artist Relations Big Rock Garden Park Coast Salish Art Collaborative Planning Cultural Authenticity Deaccessioning Downtown Revitalization Indigenous Culture Parking Garage Art Percent For Art Projection Mapping Public Art Wilburn Park