The Spokane Arts Asphalt Art Program converts parts of streets and crosswalks into public art installations, enriching local neighborhoods while providing a traffic calming solution. This pilot program will run for a minimum of three years, during which time we will work alongside Spokane neighborhoods and local artists to create art that is painted directly onto our street intersections and crosswalks.
This program not only showcases the creativity and input of local artists and residents, these murals slow traffic in problematic areas and beautify parts of our city that lack creative activation. Asphalt art takes advantage of our most extensive public spaces—streets—to bring more art into daily life, and contribute to a sense of place, and of neighborhood identity and pride. A street mural designed and painted by community members brings people together and adds life and fun to our streets.
All local neighborhood councils are encouraged to apply to have an intersection painted by local artists through the Asphalt Art program. Spokane Arts has an asphalt art roster of local, qualified artists, ready to work on these projects. Each artist on our roster is allowed to paint up to 3 of these projects.
The Asphalt Art program is funded through photo enforced school zone and red light traffic ticketing. The program gets about 6% of the revenue generated from these tickets. These projects receive NO funding through taxes.
Spokane Arts and the City of Spokane have modeled this program after the work done by Bloomberg Philanthropies Asphalt Art Initiative.
Covering the center of the intersection, these projects are eligible for all neighborhood councils in Spokane to apply to. These projects are painted by artists from our Asphalt Art artist roster with special paint (Heavy Shield) from Sherwin Williams.
The city is to receive 6 thermoplastic crosswalks designed by local artists. The location of these crosswalks were voted on in a community survey in 2024. Each district in Spokane is set to receive 2 of these crosswalks.
These projects are an alternative measure the City of Spokane allows Spokane Arts to pursue when a crosswalk or intersection project doesn't work for certain neighborhoods. These projects consist of painting sectioned off portions of an intersection.
Pollyanne Birge
pbirge@spokanecity.org
Shelby Allison
Spokane Arts
shelby@spokanearts.org
In Spokane
We All Belong
