If you find yourself walking, biking, or rolling through the newest Eastrail segment in Bellevue this week, you may have noticed an artist painting a storage container just off the trail between NE 4th and the NE 8th bridge. The artist, Nikita Ares, designed the mural specifically for the new segment of Eastrail after responding to the Call for Artists we led on behalf of King County Parks this summer.

The mural is the culmination of several years of work from Eastrail Partners and our community. Last year, we partnered with Eastside for All and several other community groups and artists to develop a template for a more inclusive call for artists. With this mural project, we were able to put some of those ideas into practice and received submissions from over 30 artists representing the diversity of the region. The arts call included multilingual outreach, a selection committee representing our community coalition, and other recommendations from our inclusive call template. Our selection committee included representatives from Eastside for All, Wolfberry Studios, and eastside artist Arvind Poothia, all of whom also worked on our inclusive call project.

Nikita’s new mural adds bright color and shapes to a more industrial segment of trail, and welcomes trail users into the newest part of Eastrail. Nikita had the following to share about her piece:

Through playful and distinctive shapes, my work fosters an awareness of the interconnectedness that binds us together as individuals and as a collective. My art is a testament to the belief that, regardless of our origins, we are all threads in the same universal fabric, weaving a story of connection, understanding, and shared vitality.

This new mural also sits a short walk from the Wilburton Light Rail station and NE 8th bridge, which both this spring, and feature a powerful collection of art and stories from the Japanese-American community in Bellevue. We look forward to inviting the public out for some “art walks” to explore the Eastrail and enjoy this new public art in Spring 2025. For now, we encourage everyone to get out on the trail and enjoy this new incredible mural!