The Arlington Arts Council wants everyone to come to Arlington and play music with our newest art acquisition — an outdoor xylophone called “The Swirl.” This is the first musical instrument in our long-time dream of building a Sound Garden. Swirl is by a company, Harmony Park, that specializes in interactive musical playground equipment. We hope to acquire more in the future to create a real orchestra of instruments. The xylophone is our latest piece of public art. It joins over 30 pieces that have been given to our community over the last nine years.
The Arlington Arts Council was formed during our town’s Centennial Celebration for 2003. Inspired by our beautiful fountain that was built in 1989 during the State Centennial, the Arts Council set a goal of bringing additional art to Arlington and of making art accessible for everyone — and not just for the Centennial year, but all the coming years.
We are really fortunate to have the Snohomish County Centennial Trail running right through the historic downtown section of Arlington. We knew that one day the missing links of the rail would be finished, and we have worked really hard to make our section of the trail a wonderful showcase of work by area artists. A dozen major pieces of art have been placed along the trail, and it has become quite an attraction for residents and visitors alike.
While we celebrate the many talented artists of our community, we also think art is for everyone. We have our stone, metal and wood sculptures and fabulous murals, and much more, but we also have our plywood “painted cows” and “painted fish” which were painted by a full spectrum of community members — from church groups to school groups, from fishermen to nursing home residents.
We are a “hands on” artistic community. We celebrate art and the joy it brings to our lives. We strive to make a supportive environment for our local artists, and we work to enhance our community to make it a more enjoyable place to live, as well as making it an attractive and interesting place to visit — and you are all invited!
To arrange a tour of the “Art of Arlington,” call 360-403-1011 or 360-435-3778.
Virginia Hatch
Arlington
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