Proposed City of Pullman Public Art Project That Started as Black Lives Matter Mural Halted – bigcountrynewsconnection.com

PULLMAN - The rocky effort for a City of Pullman public art project that began with a request for a Black Lives Matter mural has been tabled.

Pullman City Council halted the work during a recent meeting. The proposed project began in the Summer of last year when the local Black Lives Matter group asked the city to paint a BLM mural on Main Street downtown. That prompted council to direct the citys arts commission to come back with an End Racism Now mural. At the time some Pullman City Councilmembers voiced concerns with the national leadership of BLM.

The City of Pullmans Arts Commission tackled the project in the Fall of last year with little direction from council. The group received 7 submissions for an End Racism Now mural from 3 artists. Two of the submissions were removed from consideration at the request of the artists. The controversy continued with public concerns about the arts commissions social media polling about a possible final design.

Pullman City Council eventually rejected the arts commissions mural recommendation. Three commissioners had resigned from the volunteer board by last Winter after sending their plan to council.

In March city council revamped the project and created a subcommittee to restart the effort. The committee of councilmembers wanted to hire an artist, survey the public and create a downtown mural by June 19th to celebrate the end of slavery in the U.S.

An artist wasnt hired and a survey was never issued and Pullman City Council came back to the issue during a meeting last month. Councilman Dan Records who chaired the subcommittee said the project should be tabled since the project would involve the citys arts commission which is now down to two members.

While the city was wrangling with a public End Racism Now mural a private nonprofit organization painted a Black Lives Matter mural in downtown Pullman. The Pullman Arts Foundation raised money for the mural which is above the old Mimosa building on Main Street.

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Proposed City of Pullman Public Art Project That Started as Black Lives Matter Mural Halted - bigcountrynewsconnection.com