Yelm Arts Commission previews electrical-box wraps, chalk-art contest winners and creative-district application

Myra Pena, chair of the Yelm Arts Commission, updated the council on the commission’s 2024 accomplishments and 2025 plans, including public-art installations and an application for state creative-district certification through ArtsWA.

Pena said the commission installed a wind sculpture at the Prairie Lane trailhead last year, wrapped a Centennial electrical box and ran the inaugural Prairie Days chalk-art contest. For 2025 she said the commission received 63 submissions from local artists for proposed electrical-box wraps and selected seven designs; the commission plans to work with Studio 703 to install two wraps by the end of the year. Pena identified chosen wrap themes for this year as hawk/blackbird/raven and a wild-flowers design near local businesses.

She said the commission won first place in the Prairie Days parade and that second annual chalk-art contest participants received event t-shirts and winners received gift cards from the local cinema. Pena described the ArtsWA creative-district program as a state-run certification intended to promote economic development through cultural programming and said the commission expects to submit its application early next year after four months of community outreach.

Pena asked councilors for support for the electrical-box wraps and invited community participation in the creative-district outreach.