La Grande arts commission reviews public art projects, budget update

Signal box wraps and asphalt art remained the most visible items on the City of La Grande Arts Commission’s plate Tuesday, with the remaining boxes carrying an updated $9,000 price tag and a broader downtown mural concept also moving ahead. The work would show up in public spaces around Willow Street, Fir Street and 2nd Street, while a separate mural alley idea could eventually reshape the block between Washington Street and Adams Avenue on either side of Depot Street.

The commission met at 5:30 p.m., with the session scheduled for viewing through the Parks & Recreation Facebook page. Its agenda moved from routine business to public art and planning, including approval of prior minutes, public comments, signal box wraps, asphalt art, strategic plan deliverables, digitizing the LGAC logo, a budget update, staff reports, commissioner comments and adjournment.

The budget discussion carried immediate weight. In March, the commission recorded the updated $9,000 quote for the remaining signal boxes and folded that amount into its budget request. Members also noted that the city budget process was still in its early stages and that final adoption would come in early June, making the next few weeks important for projects that depend on city funding.

The signal box project has already moved through several rounds of local decision-making. In March, the commission voted unanimously to open a limited competition announcement to Eastern Oregon University for one box and to all Union County artists for another, rather than use direct selection. Members said they wanted community trust and buy-in. The discussion also referenced possible locations at Willow, Fir and 2nd streets, and one design was expected from Jeremy.

Asphalt art had been tabled earlier in the year, and in February the commission said Amy McIntosh would contact Bloomberg Philanthropies for information on funding and implementation. By April, the arts discussion had widened further. Caiti Burke reported that La Grande Mainstreet was visioning a mural alley downtown, with a two-phase concept and an end goal of creating an art corridor between Washington and Adams on both sides of Depot Street. That plan also called for help using the city’s See My Legacy fundraising platform and finding artists.

The arts commission’s work is aimed at arts recognition and economic development, with a stated focus on supporting area artists, especially youth, and serving as the city’s liaison to the Eastern Oregon Regional Arts Council. Minutes from February 2025 show the signal box program has been active for at least a year, including earlier consensus selections and elementary school involvement. Tuesday’s agenda showed those ideas turning from concept into budgeting, coordination and public-space changes residents are likely to see downtown.