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Arts and Culture

Illustration of a laptop with a survey on the screen next to a photo of an artist painting a mural.

Share your feedback! What kind of themes, art styles, and focus do you want to see in the murals? Please take this quick survey by Tuesday, April 21 to share your thoughts and help us shape a more colorful, connected Burien.

Take the survey in English

Tome la encuesta en español

The Economic Development Division has been granted a one-time award of $200,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to invest in beautifying commercial areas, creating a sense of community, and inviting locals and tourists alike to visit Burien for the art and stay to support our businesses!

In partnership with Urban Artworks, we are installing twelve high-quality professionally created murals at several commercial corridors in Burien.

This place making initiative would further identify Burien as a community that is built upon and driven by the arts, create tourism opportunities, and discourage graffiti in repeat locations of high visibility to the community and visitors. The aim of the program would be to improve and enhance economic viability by attracting visitors, customers, and residents to various commercial districts of Burien.

Get Involved

Your feedback is important:

Project Contact

City of Burien Economic Development Division

economicdevelopment@burienwa.gov

Project Timeline

Now – April 21, 2026

Community Survey Feedback

June – September 2026

Mural Installation

In 2020, the City of Burien and the Burien Arts Commission began to develop Long-range Public Art Plan to set long-range goals for the City’s limited public art funding and future public art projects in Burien. This plan is meant to serve as a guide for the Arts Commission to use for its annual public art planning efforts.

In addition, the Long-range Public Art Plan will accommodate planning for public art projects that meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • Cost of creating the project may require allocation of funding for more than one year
  • Project may require more coordination with other projects, programs, or partners
  • Project can be commissioned using information gathered from the community relating to their priorities for locations, themes, media, and more.  

The Arts Commission follows an annual public art planning process, as required by Resolution 399, that is distinct from the long-range public art planning effort. After drafting the annual public art plan, the Arts Commission presents the draft plan to the Burien City Council for review and adoption.

What is Public Art and Why Is It Important?

According to Americans for the Arts, “American cities and towns aspire to be places where people want to live and want to visit. Having a particular community identity, especially in terms of what our towns look like, is becoming even more important in a world where every place tends to look like every place else. Places with strong public art expressions break the trend of blandness and sameness, and give communities a stronger sense of place and identity.”

Background Information

Project Timeline

October-December 2021

Community feedback gathered

2022-2023

Evaluation of community feedback and plan development

Late 2023

Plan goes to Burien City Council