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New Temporary Art Pieces Appear Throughout McKinley Hill Neighborhood

--Creative Placemaking Identified as a Top Priority in McKinley Hill Neighborhood Plan Developed Through Process of ‘Co-Creation’ With Community Members--

TACOMA, Wash. – Visitors and residents traveling along McKinley Avenue will notice new temporary art pieces welcoming them to the McKinley Hill neighborhood. The latest of five anticipated temporary art pieces, “Welcome to McKinley Hill” was designed and fabricated by Tacoma artist Liz Morrow. “Zine Library”, a temporary art piece located outside of Lux Coffee at 3535 McKinley Avenue, was designed and fabricated by Tacoma artist Katrina Van Strein and installed earlier this month.

“Thanks to a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the McKinley Neighborhood Plan, created in collaboration with residents, is bringing the power of placemaking to life,” said District 4 Council Member Sandesh Sadalge. “This exciting initiative aims to celebrate McKinley's culture and heritage. I’m excited these installations are being created by local artists who are representative of Tacoma and are uniquely able to express its character. Temporary installations are just the first step, and I look forward to seeing the permanent public artwork that is still planned for the neighborhood!”

Creative placemaking was a top priority for the McKinley Hill Neighborhood, as identified in the McKinley Hill Neighborhood Plan, developed through a process of deep “co-creation” with the community. The plan reflects more than 1,500 “engagements” with the community, collected through meetings, focus groups, surveys, in-person events, and online engagement.

Last year, the City of Tacoma received a $100,000 “Our Town” grant – one of just 57 awarded nationwide – from the NEA to support creative placemaking in the McKinley Neighborhood. With this support from the NEA, staff from the City’s Arts and Cultural Vitality Division and Neighborhood Planning Program worked in partnership with Spaceworks Tacoma on a cohort training program for local emerging artists. Ten artists participated in the training program and had opportunities to compete for implementation funding for temporary and permanent artwork.

In the coming months, Tacoma artist Rick Bisol’s “Firefighter Mural” is anticipated to be installed on McKinley Elementary School’s fence along East 38th Street.

Next spring, Tacoma artist Delaney Saul’s banners will appear on light poles throughout the McKinley Business District. Also anticipated next spring, with an exact location still being determined, is Tacoma artist Carlos Aguilar’s “They Drift ‘Unidos’” mural.

The NEA grant will also help support permanent public art pieces for McKinley Hill. There will be two permanent art pieces – a decorative fence installation by Tacoma artist Liz Morrow, and public seating designed by artists from the Puyallup Tribe – at the McKinley Overlook, a new public space along East 32nd Street that will feature new amenities including landscaping, lighting, trash cans, and interpretive and wayfinding signage. Construction began this year, and the project is anticipated to be completed in 2025.

Another permanent art piece is anticipated to be installed in the McKinley Hill Business District in 2025.

More information on the McKinley Hill Neighborhood Plan is available at cityoftacoma.org/McKinleyNP. Community members with questions about the plan can contact Anneka Olson at aolson@cityoftacoma.org or (253) 331-3742.

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