Learn basic felting techniques and make your own dryer balls with a free class on January 29th at 11AM from the Ferndale Arts Commission and Northwest Yarns.
All materials provided for the first 100 participants who sign up.
Send an email to FerndaleArtsCommission@gmail.com to register for the class and receive the Zoom link
The Ferndale Arts Commission, in collaboration with the Lhaq’temish Foundation, has completed two new murals on the west side of the Pioneer Pavilion in Pioneer Park. The murals were designed and painted by local artists Jason LaClair and Yolanda Felix-Wilbur and pay tribute to the shared history of Ferndale and the Lummi Nation.
“You cannot tell the history of Ferndale without beginning with the Lummi Nation,” said Mayor Greg Hansen, “and what better place for that than Pioneer Park?”
LaClair’s piece is titled “One From the Heart” and speaks to the shared love of all people, especially during the challenges of the pandemic. Felix-Wilbur’s piece tells the story of the Lummi Nation itself and their canoe journey.
Both murals are available for viewing on the side of the Pioneer Pavilion at 2004 Cherry St. in Ferndale. A third mural is planned for Summer of 2022.
For more information about the Ferndale Arts Commission can be found here.
The Ferndale Arts Commission is collaborating with the Lhaq’temish Foundation to complete a Coast Salish mural project on the west side of the Pioneer Pavilion.
The whole project is planned to be complete by the end of summer of 2022. Two smaller murals are being completed this year as part of the larger project, the first of which is nearly finished and will be wrapped up early this week.
Jason LaClair is a 38 year old member of Lummi Nation. His design on the Pavilion is called “One From the Heart.” Jason has been practicing in the Northwest Coast Style for over 20 years, mainly focusing on creating logo designs for many Tribal entities in both Nooksack and Lummi. Jason has wanted to paint murals in Whatcom County to ensure the First Peoples of Whatcom and the Coast Salish Communities are recognized, as well as their Coast Salish ancestors. Jason has completed several murals before and is collaborating with Gretchen Leggit on an upcoming mural for the City of Bellingham as well.
“The Ferndale Arts Commission is grateful to work with Jason and bring his art to the Pioneer Pavilion project” said Rebecca Xczar, Ferndale Arts Commission Chairperson. “We are so excited to bring this Coast Salish project to the Pioneer Pavilion, and we deeply appreciate the collaboration with the Lhaq’temish Foundation.”
The second mural piece is planned to begin this week.
The city has a number of Boards and Commissions that work to advise the council on a broad array of subjects. These are volunteer positions but absolutely essential to providing quality input to the city decision-making process.
There are currently vacancies on the Arts Commission. The Arts Commission is charged with enhancing the community by advising on public art and community aesthetic enhancement. Examples of the Arts Commission’s recent events include: Star Park Revitalization, Yarn Art at Griffintown Park, the Downtown Mural Project, Zoom Painting Class, Zoom Murder Mystery, and many more! To apply for one of the vacancies, please fill out this application and email it to City Clerk Susan Duncan at susanduncan@cityofferndale.org. You don’t need to be an artist to be a part of this commission!
UPDATE: Deadline for submissions extended to July 9th, 2021.
The Ferndale Arts Commission is calling for a Coast Salish artist to install a mural in downtown Ferndale. Artists are invited to submit designs that they would then install in downtown Ferndale in the summer of 2021. To honor the original caretakers of the area, the FAC wishes to have a mural installed by a Coast Salish artist. The FAC is partnering with the Lhaq’temish Foundation to create a piece of art at Pioneer Park.
Mural is to be installed on the west side of the Pioneer Pavilion. The size will be a minimum of 700sf but could cover the entire side, with the exception of the windows; full side designs are encouraged. All designs will be vetted by the Ferndale Arts Commission and the Lhaq’temish Foundation.
“The Ferndale Arts Commission has installed 12 murals as part of the Downtown Mural Project since 2018, from a variety of artists and volunteers. Our goal for this mural is to collaborate with a Coast Salish artist to bring this acknowledgement to the Pioneer Pavilion” said Rebecca Xczar, Chairperson of the Ferndale Arts Commission.
Interested artists should submit at least one sketch in color, with height and size preferences, along with any relevant previous experience (pictures of prior murals completed or other art projects).
Deadline for submission is June 25th, 2021. Send all submissions to Rebecca Xczar at ferndaleartscommission@gmail.com. For more information, please call (360) 319-2677.
City Seeks Volunteers for Star Park Renewal Day May 29th
After five years of fun, Star Park in Ferndale is ready for a fresh coat of paint. The City is seeking volunteers for a community renewal day for Ferndale’s most popular playground on Saturday, May 29th from 10:00 a.m. to Noon. Volunteers will be adding new artistic designs to the playground, including fresh artwork on the large tree, ferry boat and other features in Star Park. Volunteers will also be touching up current designs and doing minor repairs.
“Whether you are handy with a paint brush or not, the only requirement is that you love Star Park and want to help,” said Riley Sweeney, Communication Officer with the City of Ferndale. “We built this playground with all volunteers, so it’s time to invite everyone back to help make it even more beautiful.” Those interested in volunteering can simply show up on the day of the event. Masks and social distancing measures required on the part of all volunteers.
The park will be closed on Friday May 28th and all day Saturday May 29th to prepare for the event and to let the new paint dry.
This project is made possible thanks to a Project Neighborly Grant from the Whatcom Community Foundation. Star Park was constructed in 2016 by over 2,000 volunteers over the course of six days, making it the largest volunteer event in the history of Ferndale. Displays will be set up on site with pictures and video from the original build.
For more information or questions, please contact Riley Sweeney, Communication Officer at 360-685-2353 or RileySweeney@cityofferndale.org.
Join the Ferndale Arts Commission for a free interactive murder mystery party at 7pm on May 14th.
It is 1933 and Ferndale dairy farmer Jerry Jonsteen has been found dead in his barn. Detective James Wells, Ferndale’s only police officer has rounded up the suspects and needs your help solving the case.
Interview suspects, decipher clues and unravel this mystery from the comfort of your home as local actors bring this original story to life.
To sign up and receive the Zoom link – send an email to rileysweeney@cityofferndale.org. As you can imagine, this interactive performance involves a murder so it may not be appropriate for young children but teens and adults welcome.
The Ferndale Arts Commission is planning a yarn art installation, to be installed in the spring, and are looking for public participation.
Crocheted yarn art will be installed on the tree trunks in Griffintown Park. Sections of the yarn art will be created by the public and then collected by the FAC, for future installation.
We will be kicking off the project with a crochet zoom class to make the yarn art sections, Saturday, January 30th, at 3:00pm. Supplies are available for pick-up at City Hall, and limited to 50 participants. Please email Susan Duncan, at susanduncan@cityofferndale.org to sign up.
Northwest Yarns (https://nwyarns.com/) will be teaching the zoom class, and they have generously given the Arts Commission a discount on supplies.
