New murals possibly coming to Colfax

Whitman County Commissioner Michael Largent presented to the rest of the board at its Monday morning workshop that the Colfax Arts Council is interested in putting a mural on the side of the Public Service Building on Main Street next to Jim's Service Center.

"We are working through getting permission with different building owners in the downtown area," said Debbie Snell, Colfax Arts Council. "We have three to four different walls planned out right now to get started with adequate planning."

When Largent presented the idea to the other two commissioners pushback was minimal. Commissioner Art Swannack said his biggest concern would just be what the art looks like more than anything else.

Snell said when it comes down to choosing the art for the mural, the arts council and the building owner will be able to decide what will go on the wall.

"When time gets closer we will put out a call for submissions from artists and they will send in three different conceptual ideas and the art council will look at the submissions and make a decision from there and confer with the building owner," Snell said.

Snell mentioned that the arts council is still in early preliminary stages of this new project where they are reaching out to building owners and finding walls in the area that may be a good fit.

"We have four existing artists that we've been in touch with that have done murals in town that are interested in starting a new project," Snell said.

Largent requested the commissioners let him know if they have any objections to the arts council proceeding with the project and if there are no objections the board will vote on whether they would allow them to move forward or not with the project.

"Locally, the public really likes the murals on the walls in town," Largent said.

Connie Ellis, deputy clerk of the board, mentioned how all she has heard are positive things on the murals in town.