City Line Station Artwork
Designing for City Line
In 2019, Spokane Arts gathered input from property and business owners in the communities along the City Line to incorporate into place-based themes for the design of City Line Stations.
Artists applied and were selected to work with Spokane Arts, STA, and neighborhood partners to develop and finalize designs that reflect characteristics of each community.
City Line service will begin in 2023.
Learn more about the artwork at spokanearts.org.
Communities Along the City Line
Browne's Addition
Artist Kate J. Reed
Kate J. Reed works under the moniker Party Krill, which is also the name of her recyclable paper goods business. She is an illustrator and pattern designer working in her dimly lit basement with the thump of her kids’, husband’s, and cat’s feet above her.
When not painting/drawing/designing/fulfilling orders, Kate enjoys taking on house projects that are a little out of her comfort zone. You can find her work locally at Wishing Tree Books and From Here.
Artist Statement
Browne’s Addition is a mashup of architectural styles, of business and residential, of nature and man-made structures, of new and old. I wanted my designs to reflect this eclecticism— the possibility and aliveness born out of these juxtapositions.
The challenge was to create artwork that reflects the historic elements of the neighborhood while honoring its youthful nature, all while keeping the stations cohesive. The frames are inspired by the many styles you’ll find in Browne’s Addition. You will see influences from the Patsy Clark Mansion, Coeur d’Alene Park Gazebo, The Campbell House, The Fotheringham House, and from various wrought-iron fences and other architectural details in the neighborhood. The designs are color-blocked in a style reminiscent of arts and crafts stained-glass windows and honor the vibrancy of the healthy LGBTQ+ community in Browne’s Addition.
The STA Station Art for Browne’s Addition is a delightful mix of colors and images that are strongly influenced by the neighborhood. Without being imitative, to my eye the artist reflects things like fencing details, historic home interior and exterior colors and decor in a way that will announce to the City Line commuter that they are in a historic neighborhood.
West End
Artist Mariah Boyle
Mariah received her BA from Eastern Oregon University and her MFA from Washington State University in 2012. Primarily a drawer, she uses a variety of materials in her works where she explores themes in relation to place and reactions to specific landscapes.
Mariah is from the Inland Northwest and is a faculty member at Spokane Falls
Community College. She is also part of the regional art collective, Saranac Art Projects, in Spokane, Washington.
Artist Statement
The vibrancy and exuberance of Mariah’s work aligns well with the district.
Symphony
Artist Joshua Thomas
Joshua Thomas is the owner and operator of Lejit Designs, a graphic design studio specializing in branding, illustration, and murals. Josh loves basketball, video games, anime, and reading.
He lives with his wife Kasey and their weenie-dog Bennie out in Liberty Lake.
Artist Statement
The design is so energetic. He has captured so much energy and diversity. Fantastic color palette.
City Center
Artist Ellen Picken
Ellen Picken has been painting large scale murals since 2014. Her work can be found from Seattle to New York. When she’s not 30 feet up a wall, she hangs out with the neighbors, paints in her home studio, and runs Factory Town with her partner Rajah Bose.
Artist Statement
Picken’s design is a vibrant reflection of our city center, with depth and opportunity to discover something new on each viewing. A dynamic foundation that will remain both familiar and changing as our city grows into the future.
East End
Artist Jiemei Lin
Artist Statement: The Melody We Share
Artist Statement: Indigo and Blue
Jiemei’s work is absolutely beautiful. The colors, the imagery, the community she depicts, speaks to who we are.
University District
Artist Melissa Cole
Melissa Cole was born in Oregon and raised in London, Hong Kong, and India. She graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Zoology and worked as a naturalist in Mexico and the Caribbean. It is from these encounters that she derives much of her inspiration for her vividly colored, heavily textured and patterned paintings and mosaic sculptures.
She’s written over 30 children’s books and travels extensively with her marine photographer husband. Melissa has spent the last 18 years fully devoted to art. Her creations are showcased in national galleries, corporate and private collections, aquariums, hospitals and numerous public places.
Artist Statement
These are so vibrant and eye-catching. Truly wonderful!
Logan
Artist Keely Honeywell
Keely Honeywell is an artist based in Spokane, WA. She does design and illustration for Scablands Books, and her work has appeared in So To Speak Journal, New Southern Fugitives, and Kansas City Voices.
Artist Statement
Keely’s designs are fun, vibrant and reflect elements important to the neighborhood’s identity – trees, the river, and the Centennial Trail. Each station has an individual look, while the variety of colors tie the stations together, suggest the diversity in the neighborhood, and seem to work with the STA & City Line branding.
Chief Garry
Artist Danielle Davis
Danielle Davis is a freelance graphic designer, illustrator and artist. From mural painting to woodworking to sculpture, she is on a mission to try every creative medium at least once.
When she’s not dabbling in the artistic realm, Danielle is usually barefoot outdoors, spending time with her husband Jon and their three small sons.
Artist Statement
Danielle’s really seemed to hear the neighborhood’s comments and created exciting, colorful designs reflecting the natural environment, history and the diversity of the area. The use of similar graphic panels and colors help to unify this set of stations, while each station has a pair of panels identifying the station as a distinct place in the neighborhood.
Spokane Community Colleges
Artist Jason Corcoran
Jason Corcoran is a Spokane artist, designer and animator who has spent decades exploring many mediums and tools, both digital and traditional.
He allows the methods of each tool to inform the others. Inspired by the rapidly changing world, our reaction to it, and the endless ways that moments and emotions can be captured, felt, and redistributed, Jason is passionate about seeking out the new discoveries to be found in the culmination of often contradictory ideas and approaches and expanding the original works of art.
Artist Statement
The dynamic of the flowing river combined with the movement of the roads, bridges, and neighborhoods very much represents how we (I do, anyways!) feel here at SCC about our place, role, and contributions to our neighborhood, community, and region.