Public Art & Places

Explore Downtown Bellingham’s thriving arts community, all for free, through our community’s extensive public art collection. Whether it’s murals, outdoor sculptures, or temporary installations, scratch your arts and culture itch Downtown!

 

Gallery Alley

Gallery Alley is an outdoor alley activation in the alley between Wild Buffalo and Mindport Exhibits on Holly Street. 8 artists are selected each 2-month series to paint a reclaimed door that hangs in the alley, turning it into a public, outdoor art gallery to enjoy all summer long.

Want to be an artist?

The first round of artists are chosen by the end of April and their doors will hang in the alley from June – July. The second round of artists are chosen by the end of May and their doors will hang in the alley from August – September. We ask each artist to paint both sides so the door can be flipped halfway through and a different piece can be displayed. Gallery Alley is included in our First Friday maps for the whole summer! 

We supply the doors and all the hanging hardware needed for display, as well as hang up the doors. We coordinate with artists to either deliver the door to them or have the doors picked up downtown. We are asking artists to provide their own paint and other materials. After the door displays are done for the season, the doors will be donated to the Downtown Bellingham Partnership, a 501c3 for future installations.

2024 Season Schedule

June/July

  • Application are now closed for the 2024 Season

  • Doors installed June 6th

  • Doors flipped July 4th

August/September

  • Rolling application

  • Doors installed August 1st

  • Doors flipped September 5th

 

Self-Guided Mural Walking Tour

Enjoy the outdoor art scene Downtown with this handy, interactive map! Learn more about the murals and the artists by clicking on the respective map market.

Did we miss one? Or is there a new mural we haven’t added yet? Fill out the form below or email nathalie@downtownbellingham.com.

 

Downtown Bellingham Partnership Placemaking Projects

Placemaking through community-centered design projects is one of the four corners of the Main Street approach. The Downtown Bellingham Partnership is a Washington State Main Street Organization and has a proud history of designing public spaces for modern use and experiences. Below are a few examples.

Commercial Street Plaza 2.0

The Commercial Street parking garage, commonly referred to as the Parkade, is a public resource for locals and tourists alike to park in the heart of downtown and walk to explore dining, shopping, and culture. In 2023, the Downtown Bellingham Partnership identified the adjacent public plaza as an area ripe for a visual face lift. Through the funding support of the Mayor’s Small and Simple Grant and our partnerships with local breweries to make the BKIND Brews program possible, †bkin

Before

After

 
 
 

Rocket Canvas Project

The Downtown Bellingham Partnership in collaboration with RAM Construction sought proposals from local and regional artists for artwork to be installed on two separate exterior panels on the “Rocket Building” (306 W Holly Street) in the center of Downtown Bellingham’s Arts District.

Two artists were selected: Bobbie Torres and Ivan Collin. Read their artist statements below!

After photo courtesy of Trevor Andrews Photography.

  • When I heard the plans for the new wall I began to think of subject matter that would best represent our ever-blooming community that innovates for the future while drawing inspiration from the past. The story of Salmon Woman and Her Children has inspired this design. The teaching of the symbiotic nature of humans and our environment through this story is as relevant today as it will be tomorrow and as it has been for countless tellings before. Amongst oysters, dogwood, and berries her children roam. The sun sets from her brow and washes over the children of the water given to land. From all the vibrant colors of this home certain shells form small worlds reflecting the beauty of a mixture such as we have. Raven feathers to salmon scales, this home gives flight to all. Our town and vessel, the city of subdued excitement, carries us onward with the knowledge of these gifts and the mindfulness of a future we help shape.

  • The intention of this mural is to serve as a gentle reminder that, “We are one”. We may look, feel, and believe differently, but we share one global, interconnected body of water. The ocean covers a majority of our earth, and it does not judge, it just is. Emotions act like the ocean, they come in waves. It is not by coincidence that more than half of our body makeup is water. When we move in a flow state we don’t hold onto our mistakes, we let them go. By letting go, we can focus all of our energy on the next wave.

The primary goal of this project was to bring people together through art and collaboration. We love that the project encourages love, kindness, showcases regional landscapes, ignites hope, unity, and spirited celebration.

This is a community-based art project with help from volunteers, non-profit organizations, and community-driven stakeholders.

Do you have an idea for a similar project? Reach out to lindsey@downtownbellingham.com