An Outdoor, Interactive Annual Arts Event In A Natural Setting.
Entirely organized by volunteers in its first year, t is a gift for each of us. A chance to create, to engage, to learn, and to play.
How It All Began...
In April 2018, the City of Maple Valley hosted a "For The Love Of Maple Valley" event during which community members were asked to brainstorm grass-roots public arts projects. Ideas were then voted upon and the winning idea would receive a $500 grant from the City. Paint By Tunnels tied as 'winner.' Thankfully, the City was generous to award the grant to both projects.
The winning idea was to paint all five tunnels along the trail that runs through Maple Valley, but seeing how we're just a group of volunteers, we thought it best to start with one tunnel and see how it goes.
Our goals are to:
The public benefit and accessibility of this project in Maple Valley is palpable in that it would be created by and for an audience in rural King County and would offer an innovative and collaborative approach to the arts. With the addition of free, electronically accessible materials, fellow King County residents will be able to enjoy and learn from this project.
Led by the Maple Valley Creative Arts Council, this one tunnel will hopefully set the stage for other murals to be created in the other four tunnels along the trail, showcasing the existing arts community already flourishing in Maple Valley, and hopefully further engaging the community in the arts and in utilizing the King County Parks & Recreation’s trail system.
The winning idea was to paint all five tunnels along the trail that runs through Maple Valley, but seeing how we're just a group of volunteers, we thought it best to start with one tunnel and see how it goes.
Our goals are to:
- Add fun, colorful, collaboratively created murals to the Cedar to Green Rivers Trail;
- Encourage use of the trail that runs through Maple Valley;
- Showcase local arts organizations and businesses in Maple Valley;
- Highlight collaboration in the community; and
- Bring the community together via public art.
The public benefit and accessibility of this project in Maple Valley is palpable in that it would be created by and for an audience in rural King County and would offer an innovative and collaborative approach to the arts. With the addition of free, electronically accessible materials, fellow King County residents will be able to enjoy and learn from this project.
Led by the Maple Valley Creative Arts Council, this one tunnel will hopefully set the stage for other murals to be created in the other four tunnels along the trail, showcasing the existing arts community already flourishing in Maple Valley, and hopefully further engaging the community in the arts and in utilizing the King County Parks & Recreation’s trail system.
