Pullman unveils flood board artwork

PULLMAN – At 12:15 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 5., the resident of the City of Pullman gathered at the Pine Street Plaza to showcase artwork by local students for the city's new flood panels.

Students from six local schools, Jefferson, Kamiak and Sunnyside Elementary; Pullman High School, Pullman Christian School and Pullman Community Montessori, would create a total of 16 pieces of art on 4'x8' flood boards.

On Nov. 14, 2023, the Pullman City Council created a one-time rule allowing for the flood panels to contain images common to the area, such as flora, fauna and water features. The ruling created criteria of items not permissible for the students to adhere to including: no words, man-made structures, people or religion iconography.

According to Pullman Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Marie Dymkoski, the flood panels were already budgeted for replacement and current Mayor Francis Benjamin helped approach the city council about taking steps to help increase the presence of artwork downtown and including the students from local schools on this project.

"There's been a lot of conversation about adding more art to downtown. It seemed like the right time to add some to the area," Dymkoski said. "Art really brings people together. In this case, it was done by children who will bring their relatives to see their work and their classmates work. It helps beautify the area."

The city places the flood panels during the winter along the South Fork Palouse River in Pullman, which help protect buildings along the waterline. Dymkoski added that usually the panels are removed in the spring, however on the Palouse it is always hard to tell when they won't be needed any longer.