In Bellingham where blank walls and concrete corners dominate the city, a new initiative to liven the space is ongoing. Urban art is now being embraced as a tool for connection and neighborhood renewal.
As part of a new citywide project called the Downtown Activation and Beautification Project, led by Bellingham Senior Planner Darby Galligan, local artists work together to turn unused spaces into vibrant art. Some projects include interactive exhibits, murals and sculptures, all in progress, coming in the next few months.
This new art initiative aims to wake up downtown Bellingham’s atmosphere into a space bursting with color.
“Ultimately, art allows us to make connections. We can connect to an artist if an artwork generates an emotional response and we can connect with each other by talking about art. Or, even just sitting next to someone on a public sculpture downtown,” Zoë Fejeran, the museum educator at the Western Washington University Western Gallery, said in an email.
Amanda Cooke, a senior art major at Western, believes sculptures are important for public spaces because art should be accessible to everyone. That is one of Galligan’s main goals for the Downtown Activation and Beautification Project, soon to be seen in the upcoming months.
The project will focus on putting various art pieces in nine sites across Maritime Heritage Park, City Hall Flag Pavillion and to Unity Circle in downtown Bellingham.
A map highlighting nine key location opportunity sites in Bellingham. These are areas targeted for future project proposals and developments. // Photo courtesy of the City of Bellingham.
Darby Galligan said the activation is located downtown because it serves as the city’s hub of economic activity. “In the last couple of years there's been another push towards additional investment,” she said.
The Downtown Activation and Beautification project comes from an initiative by Mayor Kim Lund called Downtown Forward.
“Downtown Forward is the city’s plan to prioritize bold actions and unbounded thinking to ensure a thriving future for downtown Bellingham,” according to the City of Bellingham's website.
Funding is provided through a lodging tax primarily through Bellingham’s Tourism Commission, and revenue goes toward funding $250,000 per the first round of art commissions. So far, there have been two rounds of art proposals by local artists: seven in the first round and eight in the second, all to be completed this spring and summer.
Each project proposal by a local artist goes through a lengthy vetting process. They have to be approved by the Downtown Activation and Beautification Project Committee, then ranked by Lund, approved for funding by the lodging tax committee, and finally evaluated by the Bellingham City Council, whereupon it will begin construction.
There are many qualifications each project proposal must meet to be approved. They must enhance the aesthetic appeal of a location, foster engagement with downtown and “attract visitors and create new and memorable experiences to enhance the City’s brand as a tourism destination and boost revenue and economic growth,” according to the City of Bellingham’s website.
“In public and urban spaces, oftentimes interaction and play are encouraged! This is so valuable because it gives people new ways to experience art,” Fejeran wrote. “It gives them opportunities to see art in their urban spaces where — if they don't have the opportunities or financial means — they might not otherwise go to a museum or gallery.”
A study in 2024 by Science Direct found that interacting with art in public spaces reduced feelings of anxiety, stress, and negative moods of their participants. Additionally, researchers found that there are many overall improvements to one's well-being and enjoyment when being in urban spaces with high aesthetic qualities such as urban art.
One project recently approved for funding by Bellingham’s City Council is a Nocturnal Lantern’s Concept by local artist Sparks Designs. The project will feature large metal lanterns that cast a spectrum of vibrant colors, illuminating the alley beside the Lightcatcher Museum downtown. The project is to be completed and installed by June 2025.
“I think that [the Downtown Activation and Beautification Project] is a really cool idea because it really enhances the space and it makes people be more creative and have creativity around them much more, which might help their mood,” Cooke said.
Galligan encourages Bellingham residents to come explore downtown on their own soon to see what they can find.
Myla Balser (she/her) is an opinion writer for The Front this quarter. She is a second-year news/editorial journalism student at Western, minoring in political science and film. She enjoys binge-watching movies, hanging with friends, and reading in her free time. You can reach her at mylabalser.thefront@gmail.com.
