MUKILTEO — City officials here are hoping a federal grant will help pay for artwork at Lighthouse Park.
Community Development Director Heather McCartney is applying for a $150,000 National Endowment for the Arts grant.
The public agency supports arts through grants, research and various initiatives.
Mukilteo is among several hundred agencies who were interested in the funds. About 35 will get the grants, McCartney said.
The money would help pay for American Indian artwork for the park’s new band shell. The project costs $300,000, and the city will have to provide half of the money. McCartney said she will look for other grants from private foundations to offset the city’s portion.
The project may be downsized if the city doesn’t get the grant.
The artwork, made by two American Indian carvers, is part of the long-term project to revamp the well-used park on the city’s waterfront.
“It’s to recognize the fact that Native Americans lived on this shoreline for more than 1,000 years, to honor them and to welcome them back to the site,” McCartney said.
The goal is to celebrate Mukilteo’s heritage and to make the park more attractive to people who live here, out-of-town visitors and school groups.
The city commissioned two 9-foot-tall old growth cedar totem poles, two side panels and four beam covers. James Madison, a well-known Tulalip carver, is working on the project. Other features include an 18-foot-tall carved cedar log sculpture and a six-sided aluminum sculpture.
An opening ceremony of the band shell seating area is planned for this summer.
Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452, kyefimova@heraldnet.com
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