Public Art

A collage featuring a mountain landscape, public art like a painted mural, a family statue with flags, and wooden carvings of bears and a bench in outdoor settings.

Public art plays an important role in shaping Lacey’s identity and creating a more vibrant, welcoming community. From entry features to sculptures and artistic elements in public spaces, these pieces help tell the story of who we are and what we value.

The City’s Public Art Program provides a thoughtful process for selecting and installing artwork throughout the community. Public art is intended to enhance the character of our city, reflect our shared history and culture, and create spaces that are engaging, enjoyable, and meaningful for residents and visitors alike.

What Public Art Does

Public art in Lacey:

  • Creates a sense of community identity and character
  • Reflects the City’s history, heritage, and cultural diversity
  • Enhances public spaces and makes them more livable and inviting
  • Encourages community connection and civic pride
  • Supports economic development and attracts visitors
  • Adds elements of creativity, interaction, and fun

Themes You’ll See in Lacey

Many public art pieces reflect themes unique to our region and community, including:

  • The natural beauty of Lacey’s trees, lakes, and open spaces
  • Local history, including significant people, places, and events
  • The importance of family, youth, and community life
  • Pacific Northwest culture and symbols, such as salmon, timber, and Native art influences
  • The diversity and experiences of the people who call Lacey home
  • The community’s connection to military service

How Public Art is Funded and Selected

Public art is funded through a small, dedicated investment and through certain City construction projects. This helps ensure art is included as our City grows.

Public Art Policy

For information on public art, including monuments on city-owned or managed sites, see “10.03 Public Art Policy” in the City Council Policies and Procedures Manual, starting on page 94. It also includes donations of public art, such as statues and monuments, to the City’s public art collection.

Search for Public Art in Lacey


CLEAR

Bears on a Bench

4540 Corporate Center Dr SE, Lacey, WA 98503, USA

Bringing joy to the children of the Lacey Head Start Program, these wood carved bears by artist Charles Mitchell sit safety under the entrance awning, where the installation is protected…

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Cecelia Svinth Carpenter – Utility Box Wrap

8033 Martin Way E, Lacey, WA 98516, USA

This artwork, featured as a utility box wrap, is a tribute to Cecelia Svinth Carpenter, a historian, educator, and author who dedicated her life to preserving the history of the…

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Cultivating the Future

Lacey Community Center, Pacific Avenue Southeast, Olympia, WA, USA

Nat and Thelma Jackson have dedicated their lives to creating a better community in Lacey and beyond. They have worked to advance racial equity and systemic change to provide equal…

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Family of Bears on a Log

500 College St SE, Lacey, WA 98503, USA

Nestled in the forested grounds of the Lacey Timberland Regional Library, a family of bears enjoys a good story. Artist Charles Mitchell brought the bears to life in 1997 for…

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Gene Liddell – Utility Box Wrap

4198 Ruddell Rd SE Lacey, Washington

This utility box wrap combines the unique artistic styles of Shekinah Lim and Ting-Ju Tai to celebrate themes of growth, faith, diversity, and community that resonate deeply with Lacey’s history…

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Kite Boy

300 Sleater Kinney Rd SE, Lacey, WA 98503, USA

Kite Boy welcomes drivers to Lacey at the city’s boundary on Sleater-Kinney Road and I-5. The city acquired this installation in 1998 from artist Gary Price for a cost of…

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Kite Girl

3849 Pacific Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98503, USA

Kite Girl welcomes drivers to Lacey at the city’s boundary on Pacific Avenue SE and the Chehalis Western Trail Bridge. The city acquired this installation in 1998 from artist Gary…

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Kluh Clock

625 Sleater Kinney Rd SE, Lacey, WA 98503, USA

Lacey’s iconic Kluh Clock sits at the entrance of the Target Shopping Plaza on Sleater-Kinney Road. Formerly a landmark within the South Sound Mall, the clock was donated to the…

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Lacey Women’s Club – Utility Box Wrap

1198 Clearbrook Dr SE Lacey, Washington

This artwork, featured as a utility box wrap, celebrates the legacy of the Lacey Women’s Club, a civic group that has played a vital role in shaping Lacey’s community spirit.…

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Luther J. Wyckoff – Utility Box Wrap

Yelm Hwy at Compton Blvd [wb], Lacey, WA 98513, USA

This vibrant landscape, titled “Field Full of Wildflowers,” is featured as a utility box wrap to honor Luther J. Wyckoff, a dedicated community member and one of the early visionaries…

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Nat & Thelma Jackson – Utility Box Wrap

Pacific at Kinwood, Washington 98503, USA

This mosaic portrait honors Nat and Thelma Jackson, longtime Black community leaders whose dedication has left a lasting impact on Thurston County. The artwork highlights their love of gardening as…

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Poet Laureate

420 College Street SE Lacey, WA 98503

Appointed in 2022, Cynthia Pratt is Lacey’s first Poet Laureate. A dedicated advocate for poetry and the arts, her work fosters creativity and connection throughout the community. Visit the Poet…

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Sharing

Lacey Timberland Library, College Street Southeast, Lacey, WA, USA

At the entrance of the Lacey Timberland Regional Library, the bronze sculpture entitled “Sharing”, by artist Judy Phipps, celebrates the importance of reading. Community members raised funds for this installation…

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The Hawk

8140 Freedom Ln NE, Lacey, WA 98516, USA

The Hawk greets visitors to Lacey at the roundabout exiting I-5 N at exit 111. The City of Lacey commissioned this bronze sculpture by artist Kevin Pettelle in 2010. The…

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Vivian Hicks and Gladys Buroker – Utility Box Wrap

5215 22nd Ave SE Lacey, Washington

This artwork, featured as a utility box wrap, pays tribute to two trailblazing aviators, Vivian Hicks and Gladys Buroker, whose determination and achievements helped pave the way for women in…

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Welcome Home

8300 Quinault Dr NE suite a, Lacey, WA 98516, USA

Lacey is the proud home of many military servicemembers and their families. Welcome Home is a bronze statue by the artist Gareth Curtiss. The community effort to build the installation…

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Wooden bench flanked by two large carved tree trunks, each featuring black bear sculptures in various poses. Outdoor scene with sunlight and trees in the background.
Bears on a Bench

Bringing joy to the children of the Lacey Head Start Program, these wood carved bears by artist Charles Mitchell sit…
A utility box painted with a portrait of a woman, trees, water, a fish, and text reading
Cecelia Svinth Carpenter – Utility Box Wrap

This artwork, featured as a utility box wrap, is a tribute to Cecelia Svinth Carpenter, a historian, educator, and author…
An older man and woman stand outdoors, smiling and holding a colorful mosaic portrait of themselves in front of a table, with trees and flowers in the background.
Cultivating the Future

Nat and Thelma Jackson have dedicated their lives to creating a better community in Lacey and beyond. They have worked…
Three carved black bear statues are positioned on and inside a large, split wooden log in a forested park setting.
Family of Bears on a Log

Nestled in the forested grounds of the Lacey Timberland Regional Library, a family of bears enjoys a good story. Artist…
A utility box features a person with gray hair in profile, blowing on a small tree cupped in her hands. The background includes colorful abstract patterns, trees, and a drawing of a sun.
Gene Liddell – Utility Box Wrap

This utility box wrap combines the unique artistic styles of Shekinah Lim and Ting-Ju Tai to celebrate themes of growth,…
A bronze statue of a child flying a kite stands on a concrete pedestal in the center of a street median, with shops and trees in the background.
Kite Boy

Kite Boy welcomes drivers to Lacey at the city’s boundary on Sleater-Kinney Road and I-5. The city acquired this installation…
Bronze statue of a kite girl running with her kite, set outdoors against red and orange autumn foliage in the background.
Kite Girl

Kite Girl welcomes drivers to Lacey at the city’s boundary on Pacific Avenue SE and the Chehalis Western Trail Bridge.…
A black vintage-style street clock with two lanterns stands outdoors amid green trees under a clear blue sky.
Kluh Clock

Lacey’s iconic Kluh Clock sits at the entrance of the Target Shopping Plaza on Sleater-Kinney Road. Formerly a landmark within…
A utility box covered with colorful, hand-drawn art tiles featuring hearts, hands, soup cans, music notes, and the words
Lacey Women’s Club – Utility Box Wrap

This artwork, featured as a utility box wrap, celebrates the legacy of the Lacey Women’s Club, a civic group that…
A utility box painted with a colorful landscape, including a blue sky, green fields, distant trees, and a road in the background at a street intersection.
Luther J. Wyckoff – Utility Box Wrap

This vibrant landscape, titled “Field Full of Wildflowers,” is featured as a utility box wrap to honor Luther J. Wyckoff,…
Mosaic art on a utility box depicts an older couple smiling together in front of a floral background.
Nat & Thelma Jackson – Utility Box Wrap

This mosaic portrait honors Nat and Thelma Jackson, longtime Black community leaders whose dedication has left a lasting impact on…
A black fountain pen rests on a handwritten letter with cursive writing and some crossed-out words on cream-colored paper.
Poet Laureate

Appointed in 2022, Cynthia Pratt is Lacey’s first Poet Laureate. A dedicated advocate for poetry and the arts, her work…
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