Eastrail Partners, in collaboration with BelRed Arts District, was excited to host trail enthusiasts, elected officials, artists, and community members to its first ever “Eastrail Arts Walk” last Saturday in Bellevue. From Wilburton Station, attendees walked along one of the newest trail segments and heard from artists about their work adorning the trail.

Artist Lauren Iida shared about her piece “Harvesting History,” one of the pieces brought to the trail through ISAN Bellevue during last year’s opening of the NE 8th Bridge. Her piece highlights the experience of Japanese American farmers in Bellevue who farmed the area before being forcibly removed and incarcerated during WWII.

Lawrence Matsuda, whose poetry is featured along the trail, shared about his poetry and a call for action to attendees at the walk:

“One year ago at this place, in a different America, we unveiled murals which were educational and historic. The art focused on social justice themes related to liberty and justice for all. My section told the story of the Japanese farmers in Bellevue — how they brought the land to life before WWII and how many lost their farms, homes, and businesses when they were unjustly taken to concentration camps for over three years.”

After hearing from the artists near the station, attendees took in the mural along the bridge, “Golden Repair” by artists Erin Shigaki and Mari Shibuya, and continued on to the newest mural unveiled last fall by artists Nikita Ares.

Nikita shared about her piece and the inspiration she drew from her experiences living in the Philippines. The mural was the result of a multiyear process led by Eastrail Partners and Eastside for All to develop a more inclusive process to select artists for public art projects, culminating in last year’s public call for artists.

After highlighting the Eastrail art, artist Raili Janese shared about her “Canada Geese” series, which is highlighted in the BelRed area. BelRed Arts District Executive Director Sandy Vo then led the group back to the light rail, where they traveled to BelRed station for a walking tour highlighting public art (including another mural by Nikita) and the work of the Arts District.

Eastrail Partners is grateful to all of the artists and supporters who attended and shared their stories, as well as Uwajimaya, who generously donated several platters of food for attendees of the walk.