City Art Collection
Over 120 permanent and portable artworks document the dynamic moments and complexities of Bellevue’s cultural life, and these pieces serve as an important resource for future generations. A segment of the collection is devoted to artworks that raise the discourse on the defining aspects of Bellevue’s civic life, exploring the diverse identities of our residents, converging cultures, international connections, technological currents, and the interplay between nature and the urban experience that make Bellevue’s environment unique.
Portable Art
In 2020, the Arts Commission purchased 20 new works for the city's portable art collection, diversifying it with a range of visual art mediums and artistic voices. Portable art also increases the number of artworks accessible in city buildings in Bellevue neighborhoods. Prior to this call, the city only had a handful of portable artworks, with one or two being added every few years. Information about the portable art purchased in 2020 and the artists who created the pieces are available in Portable Art Collection 2021.
In 2022, the Bellevue Arts Commission purchased 29 more artworks to continue supporting local artists through the COVID-19 pandemic. The call for artworks garnered over 1,000 available works submitted for purchase.
Artist Opportunities
We will list current opportunities for Artists here as they become available. Please visit the below pages to find out more about ongoing and past opportunities:
- Arts Grants Program - The City of Bellevue offers annual grants to artists and nonprofits. Applicants can expect to apply in late summer/early fall for the following year's grant cycle.
- Eastside Artist Roster (EAR) - The Eastside Artist Roster is open to artists living and working in East King County (Bellevue, Bothell, Duvall, Issaquah, Kirkland, Mercer Island, Newcastle, North Bend, Redmond, Renton, Sammamish, Snoqualmie and Woodinville) to use for craft, public art, music and performance opportunities. The roster will open for online applications starting August 1, 2020. There is no deadline to apply, and the application will remain open indefinitely. Artists can elect to have their information available to other Eastside Cities. If artists meet the criteria for the roster, applicants will be considered "admitted" to the roster. There is no panel review. Information on the Roster application can be updated by contacting publicart@bellevuewa.gov // Full Eastside Artist Roster call for artists // Apply to be on the roster here
Recent and Upcoming Public Art Projects
Downtown Park - NE entrance artwork
Piloti by artist Marc Fornes/THEVERYMANY is part of a new entrance into the Downtown Park at Bellevue Way and NE 4th Street and is conceived as a key location on the Grand Connection. The work consists of fluted columns that will rise to form an artistic canopy with perforated light filtering through. The artwork, comprised of over 6,600 unique panels with over 60,000 handmade folds and fastened with over 180,000 rivets, reflects Bellevue’s innovative technology sector, love of natural forms and robust creative community of thinkers and makers. The artwork was opened to the public in May 2023.
Rooted
Rooted by Jill Anholt, originally planned for the intersection of 121st Ave NE and Spring Boulevard, has now moved to NE 12th St and Spring Boulevard.
Rooted is an inhabitable, interactive sculpture located at the junction to the Eastrail connector. The artwork is inspired by the organic natural forms of tree roots recalling very specific natural and cultural histories of displacement for communities in Bellevue, due to colonization and industrial development. The artwork, like tree roots themselves, also speaks to ideas of connection and resiliency within nature and people, as well as their capacity to endure and to sometimes even to prosper despite extremely challenging conditions.
The work is created from Corten steel I-beams shapes, the base materials of industry which have been altered, shaped and seamlessly joined together to create an organic sculptural form composed of two towering shapes. The pair of art elements reach towards each other, their roots intermingling, as well as reach upwards to the sky where their wide bases coalesce into two circular voids: one expressing the memory of a tree trunk reaching infinitely up into the sky, the other filled with reflective metal, bringing a viewer into an intimate and participatory relationship with the sculpture below.
Yonder Sky
Artist Po Shu Wang is currently fabricating Yonder Sky for the 130th Ave NE streetscape design team to integrate into the broader project. This project will be installed between the future Spring Boulevard and NE 20th Street in BelRed.
Currently untitled, Wang has created a site-specific artwork that relates to its Magnetic Declination of 15.66° E in the year of its conception. An Info plaque in front of the sculpture will invite the public to collaborate with the artwork to create a uniquely Bellevue musical composition in real-time. A proximity sensor embedded at the front of the sphere of the sculpture allows the public to place their hand over it and activate different layers of human vocals over the music.
Temporary Public Artwork
BelRed Mural Program Pilot
Currently, the BelRed Creative Arts District has very low visibility. Only 26 percent of respondents to the recent 4Culture Creative Consultancy Report were aware of the Arts District Designation.
There is also a sense of urgency to do something that fosters the BelRed Arts District identity with one community member describing the pace of City implementation as “Glacial.”
In the summer of 2023, the BelRed Mural program will breathe new life into BelRed Arts District, infusing the neighborhood with vibrant colors, compelling narratives, and awe-inspiring imagery. The Arts Commission has carefully selected a group of talented local artists with unique styles and perspectives who will paint their stories on walls centered around NE Spring Boulevard and 132nd Ave NE in the heart of the Art District.
Be part of the experience as these talented individuals wield their brushes, turning mundane surfaces into living, breathing masterpieces. Witness the evolution of each mural, from conception to completion, as the district's walls come alive with energy and creativity.
Our Mural Program is not just about art; it's about building community and fostering a connection between artists, businesses and residents. Engage in conversations with the artists, hear their stories, and gain a deeper understanding of the inspiration behind their work. Together, we will create a space that reflects our art district's diversity, spirit, and identity.
Utility Box Wraps Program
The City of Bellevue wraps utility boxes around Bellevue in artworks printed on vinyl. This program is launched in phases, the first two covering boxes in BelRed and Downtown Bellevue. Any future phases of the program will be announced here.