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Council approves staff to work with artist on skate park mural after PACE recommendation
Summary
An artist proposal to paint a mural on the Battle Ground Skate Park dome received a unanimous advisory recommendation from the PACE board and direction from council to have staff work with the artist on implementation; the council emphasized temporary protection during painting and the potential for additional public‑art canvases.
The council directed staff May 5 to work with artist William (Will) Sykes on a mural for the Battle Ground Skate Park after the Parks, Arts, Culture and Events (PACE) advisory board recommended the project.
Rob (deputy city manager) introduced Sykes and said staff views the skate park mural as a demonstration project for a future public‑art program. Sykes told council he proposed a roughly 37‑by‑10‑foot mural on the back of a concrete dome facing the baseball fields, showed sketches and described a seven‑to‑nine‑day tentative painting schedule including surface preparation, sketching with a projector, base layers and detailing.
The nut graf: PACE unanimously recommended the mural April 9; council approved staff to coordinate logistics, including temporary fencing during painting and minor equipment support, and asked staff to monitor any anti‑graffiti or surface coatings for skating safety.
Council members asked about park access during painting, scaffolding or ladders, and anti‑graffiti finishes. Sykes said the dome is already painted over repeatedly, that he can work on a ladder and that his approach is professional spray paint with a protective finish. Deputy mayor Bowman asked that the city provide a small step ladder or similar access; Rob and staff said they would provide site support and coordinate with operations for a temporary fenced work area so the mural can be painted while the rest of the park remains open. Council member Kuipers and others praised the design and recommended the city consider future canvases such as the pickleball court at Kiwanis Park.
Action: council formally directed staff to work with the artist on the mural and later voted to move forward; PACE member comments and the artist’s portfolio were noted in the record.
Ending: staff said they will publicize painting dates and provide a time‑lapse or progress photographs for the city’s public‑information channels; council emphasized this would be a pilot that could inform a larger public‑art program.
