Liberty Lake Parks and Arts Commission approves programming funds, selects mural artists

The Liberty Lake Parks and Arts Commission on Monday, July 6, reviewed its draft multiyear arts budget and approved several artist agreements and a programming package to use remaining 2026 funds.

Commission Chair Commissioner Nancy Hill opened the meeting at 4:00 p.m. and led a line‑by‑line review of projects and carryover funds, noting roughly $55,000 in available carryover after reallocations for previously approved work. The commission discussed payment timing for completed carousel sculptures and whether to raise the art‑maintenance line in future budgets to cover annual re‑coating of outdoor sculptures.

Mikhail Stevens, parks staff member responsible for programming, presented a menu of low‑cost events — a chalk‑art extravaganza, smaller music events and holiday programming — with an estimated package cost of about $5,260. "It'd be about $5,260 so if that's something commission wants to proceed with," Stevens said. The commission voted to approve the programming recommendations for the remainder of 2026, not to exceed $9,500; the motion carried unanimously.

On public art, the commission approved three artist agreements or authorizations to proceed: - Harvard Trailhead mural: Commissioners approved entering an artist agreement with Ellen Picken with a $10,000 budget and gave the art subcommittee authority to approve the final design and forward it to city council for approval. The commission discussed that the city would need to clarify whether removing and reapplying anti‑graffiti coating on the building façades would be included in the city scope or the artist scope before finalizing the agreement. - Orchard Park concession mural: The commission selected artist Yelena Yunan and approved proceeding with an artist agreement at a not‑to‑exceed budget of $22,000 to cover design, execution and contingency. - Pavilion Park ticket‑booth panels: Commissioners authorized proceeding with an agreement for indoor ticket‑booth mural panels by Ralph Gottsinger at a not‑to‑exceed cost of $4,000. The panels are to be produced in‑studio and installed to avoid weather exposure.

Karen, the commission's art consultant, briefed commissioners on city‑hall art submissions and reported that outreach to WSDOT about the Kramer Overpass produced limited near‑term interest from state staff; she recommended revisiting large freeway‑adjacent ideas later because of WSDOT’s restrictive policies. "WSDOT is bureaucratically complex," she said, advising the commission to hold large ideas for future pursuit.

Commissioner Gary Edwards reported the performance‑art subcommittee is tentatively proposing a $4,000 2027 line item to fund three summer concerts (estimated $1,200 per band plus insurance) to be distributed among parks; the commission agreed to pencil that amount into the 2027 draft budget for later formal action.

Staff member Jen McCann told commissioners about a July 21 workshop with city council to advance the Pavilion Park playground renovation; the discussion there will influence the scope and budget for the park's renovation. The commission scheduled a final Parks & Arts budget vote for its August 3 meeting.

The meeting included routine procedural actions (approval of June minutes, votes described above) and concluded with an adjournment motion; the meeting was adjourned after those votes. Several items — including precise city versus artist scope for surface prep and final design approvals that will go to city council — remain to be resolved before some projects move into construction.

Next steps: subcommittee and staff will finalize design clarifications and vendor quotes for prep work and forward approved designs to city council (Harvard Trailhead targeted for the July 21 council packet). The commission will finalize its budget on August 3.