A banner day in downtown Mercer Island

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Mercer Island Arts Council. In a multipurpose approach to celebrate its silver anniversary, beautify Town Center and lure new business into town, the Council proposed a banner art project.

A call to Mercer Island artists went out in mid-March shortly after the City Council approved $32,750 for the project. Although the banners were originally scheduled to go up in July, they are still expected to grace downtown by the end of the year.

Several Arts Council members, city officials and the mayor unveiled five banner designs last month at the Third Thursday Art Walk in Town Center, to rave reviews

“We got a lot of very good feedback,” Britton said of the designs’ unveiling.

The city plans to hang the pastel banners designed by Islander Becky Liu sometime this year, although there’s no set date, said Arts and Special Events Coordinator Amber Britton.

First, the brackets must be ordered and the 90 banners printed, Britton said.

About 80 banners will go up, and 10 kept in reserve as replacements for aging banners.

The final project cost is expected to come in under budget, Britton said.

The banners will hang from poles along Sunset Highway near the Sculpture Park to Mercerdale Park off 78th Avenue S.E. and S.E. 32nd Street. Banners will also appear along S.E. 27th, 28th and 30th streets and 77th Avenue S.E.

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