Construction fences in Federal Way just got a lot prettier.
Local artists have been designing printed banners near construction sites in South King County. The latest collection was just installed in Federal Way, at locations including 23rd Ave S, S 320th St and 21st Ave S.
The murals are part of a program to help build community connections during construction of the Federal Way Link Extension (FWLE) opening soon.
In 2020, we launched the FWLE Mural Project with hand-painted and digitally printed banners created by a cohort of 11 artists, selected and directed by Sarah Kavage, artist in residence for the project.
The second phase of this program is lead by artist Tiffanny Hammonds, one of the initial artists who worked under Kavage’s direction.
For this phase, Hammonds identified nine artists and artist collectives to deliver new designs that will breathe new life and provide high visual interest to the surroundings of the Federal Way construction site.
The 2023 cohort of FWLE Mural artists is more diverse than ever, and includes many artists from South King County, anchoring their artistic approach in their own sense of place and belonging.
You can learn more about the artists by visiting their social media accounts:
• Rafael Calonzo, Kent, WA
• Fisher + Bennett, Poulsbo, WA
• Emilio Gonzales, Hansville, WA
• Erik Gonzales, Hansville, WA
• Harold Hollingsworth, Seattle, WA
• Eileen Jimenez, Seattle, WA
• Saiyare Refaei, Tacoma, WA
• Dion Thomas, Tacoma, WA
• Toka Valu, Seatac, WA
Some of them even shared a sneak peek of their art on Instagram!
This effort is supported by our Sound Transit Art (STart) program.
STart utilizes 1 percent of construction budgets, as identified in each voter-approved capital initiative, to bring a human scale and thoughtful detail into the large transportation infrastructure that Sound Transit builds.
Check out a video filmed during Phase 1 of the project: