A work of art in progress

Nothing like a fresh coat of paint to perk up a room. Imagine what it could do to a neighborhood.

Community-minded residents of Latah Valley, more specifically Vinegar Flats, have been fixing up their neighborhood for years.

The latest aesthetic improvement is a wildlife mural by Tom Quinn, completed last month. His painting is on a bridge pylon underneath the railroad tracks and Interstate 90, and is one of 11 murals that have turned ordinary concrete posts into larger-than-life marmot and peregrine falcon paintings. Some are as tall as 20 feet.

The local artist’s most noted outdoor artwork is the marmot mural he painted about 13 years ago at the Division Street and Sprague Avenue intersection. He’s also livened up buildings and walls in Hillyard, West Central and Browne’s Addition.

But it’s not just Quinn’s creations that show the pride in Vinegar Flats. Land around the bridge underpasses that was once weed patches has been replaced with a low-maintenance stone garden and basalt structures. Eight cast-iron lampposts on the Sunset Bridge have been restored and are the last of their kind in the city’s lighting system.

There also are benches in a pocket park near the murals, inviting passers-by and neighborhood folks to take time to admire the valley view.

“It’s in a beautiful location and has improved the appearance of the community,” said Karen Mobley, director of the Spokane Arts Commission. “People in Spokane seem to like murals.”

Fixing up the neighborhood, which also includes mundane necessities such as sidewalks, are paid by funds designated for community development improvements. Quinn said he is paid through the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.

In terms of community art in Spokane, Vinegar Flats is mountains above others. Yes, there is public artwork here and there – by Quinn as well as others – but the low-income neighborhood slightly southwest of downtown has been a work of art in progress for about 25 years.

“I think it’s caused a lot of people to take a second look around here and appreciate it for what it always has been. … which is old (historic) ground,” said Vinegar Flats resident and professional artist Steve Adams (www.adamsglassworks.com).

Adams, whose well-preserved house is a stone’s throw away from Hangman Creek, has lived in the valley for nearly 30 years. He’s a key player in the art neighborhood projects. He and others also keep a watchful eye on the urban artwork. When intruders tagged some of Quinn’s work recently, the murals were touched up almost as fast as paint dries.

Quinn’s (tcquinnartist.com) next job is to paint a mural at the Spokane International Airport. He is scheduled to begin this month.

“We’re doing relatively well given the resources that are available,” Mobley said about community artwork in Spokane.

Adams said he’s not sure what’s in store for the next project. But no doubt, it’ll further enhance his neighborhood.