Rainworks: Surprise and Delight for Neighborhood Kids
In my neighborhood of Westmont-Holly in southwest Everett, we talk a lot about how to get more public art and how to slow traffic. We’ve had conversations about chalk traffic circles. When I showed Everett traffic engineers an example, they were not amused.
I don’t remember the exact conversation, but it created a spark for a neighborhood art project.
It started when someone shared a photo of a street colored with beautiful chalk. Then someone shared about a Rainworks project she’d seen. It tumbled around in my head and I thought it would be amazing to create delight for neighborhood kids with a Rainworks project on the sidewalks by the schools.
Rainworks on 5th Avenue by Horizon Elementary // Linda War Bonnet
I run the Westmont-Holly Neighborhood Association and wrote up the project for our Neighborhood Matching Funds Grant request. That was for 2020. So I submitted it again for 2021 hoping kids would be back in school and that we’d be back together doing projects.
You need lots of cardboard to catch overspray // Linda War Bonnet
Rainworks is a product created in Seattle. It is an eco-friendly, transparent and temporary spray that resists water. So on a dry day, you can’t see it, but when it rains - surprise!
Westmont-Holly neighbors making the magic happen // Linda War Bonnet
This past summer I worked with Everett Public Works and the Mukilteo School District to get them on board with the project. After a few questions, we received full support.
One of the obstacles we had with the project was creating stencils. None of us had experience creating large-scale stencils, but luckily I’ve found when you talk to enough people the problem is often solved. I spoke with Raniere from Hand in Hand who does a lot of community work in the neighborhood. She is on the Lynnwood Arts Commission and they had done a Rainworks project - and they had stencils they were willing to loan to us.
After having to cancel the project due to what else but rain, we were able to stencil sidewalks near Challenger and Horizon Elementary schools. Then we had to wait for rain. Several days later, surprise!
If you decide to do a Rainworks project, we learned that the product shows up best on smoother sidewalks. Next year, rather than planning certain areas for the project, I think we’ll need to seek out the smoothest sidewalks.
If you are interested in doing a project like Rainworks or something else that will benefit your neighborhood, reach out to your neighborhood association and pitch the idea.
Linda War Bonnet represents south Everett on the Live in Everett Team. When she isn’t working, she is running the Westmont-Holly Neighborhood Association. You might spot her walking her dog in the Holly neighborhood.
