T he new roundabout on Witte Road near the Maple Valley Library was originally envisioned to include a piece of public art, but the project was inadvertently left out of the budget — an oversight that disappointed a number of city leaders.
Thursday is the beginning of the public journey
Now Maple Valley is forming a city arts commission to make sure that doesn’t happen again. Anybody interested in art and culture is invited to join the Maple Valley Public Art Program Steering Committee to discuss ideas at Lake Wilderness Lodge at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
“We are very interested in all forms of public art,” says Deputy Mayor Victoria Laise Jonas, who has been working for several months with other city leaders on the project. They have contracted with 4Culture — the former King County Arts Commission — to help organize Maple Valley’s arts commission.
“My ultimate goal is to stir up interest for all of the art forms in Maple Valley and create an arts commission by the end of the year,” she says. “Thursday is the beginning of the public journey.”
Cath Brunner of 4Culture will discuss on Thursday how other communities have set up their arts commissions.
The City Council created the steering committee, which includes Jonas, council member Linda Johnson, Mary Jane Glaser of the Maple Valley Creative Arts Council, city Parks Director Greg Brown and city Public Works Director Steve Clark.
