On Saturday, Sept. 30, the Tenino Creative District unveiled 23 new metal artwork banners at Tenino City Hall. The banners will be mounted on the 23 light poles in downtown Tenino throughout the first week of October.
Tenino Creative District Manager George Sharp headed up the project, and despite feeling under the weather, he was still in attendance on Saturday to see the artwork’s debut.
“This really has been George’s brainchild and baby. He’s the reason why we’re all here today, so a big thanks to George,” Tenino Mayor Wayne Fournier said.
The banners were designed by a group of local artists over the past year and feature 23 different designs focused on both the historical and natural aspects for which the Tenino area is known. They include depictions of the city’s depot museum and caboose, the Tenino Beavers mascot, elk, salmon, trees and more. A group of Tenino Creative District judges voted Adam Barr’s depiction of a quarry stone carver its favorite.
“I kind of tried to pay homage to my uncle ... I thought it’s kind of iconic for Tenino,” Barr said.
This project, along with the Tenino Creative District, was funded through the Washington State Arts Commission, according to Arts Commission Community Development Director Annette Roth.
“Tenino has been a creative district since 2020,” Roth said.
For more information on the Tenino Creative District, visit https://cityoftenino.us/cityhall/page/city-tenino-creative-district.
