By Sarah Hannon-Nein Welcome to the streets of Vancouver, Washington, where a masterpiece is breathing life into the city's heart. The Evergreen Community Garden Mural is located along the East Evergreen Boulevard overpass over Interstate 5. Ana Honsowetz, also known as "Ana the Artist," created this 600-foot-long mural. Her love for enhancing communities through art inspired the project. Ana's passion for mural art brings Washington travelers a beautiful view. It also discourages graffiti, reducing costs to taxpayers. Many partners were involved in making the project happen. It started with her work with the Vancouver Downtown Association (VDA). The VDA then worked with us to get approval for the mural. We were able to use the Adopt-A-Highway program to get permits. Then they worked with the Historic Trust, Design Consign and the city of Vancouver's Culture, Arts and Heritage Commission. The project received $18,000 in grants from the City of Vancouver, Design Consign and the VDA. The Evergreen Community Garden Mural represents our shared commitment to community. "Together, we're not just painting a picture. We're brightening our corner of the state by creating a permanent living garden, unaffected by the changing seasons," Ana said. Ana spent almost a year painting the mural, from September 2023 to June 2024. Then she used five gallons of a clear coating to protect it from graffiti. It's the longest mural she has ever painted, covering 300 feet on each side of the overpass. With the help of volunteers, she used 10 gallons of forest green paint for the background. Then she used 45 different colors in quart-sized containers to paint the artwork. The mural includes flowers, animals and other details. The Evergreen Community Garden Mural isn't just a static painting. It's designed to engage everyone who sees it. It includes images of native wildlife and plants. These details create a connection with the community and its surroundings. And if you're up for a challenge, try out the scavenger hunt to discover hidden surprises within the mural. You might find several community members' pets. Ana took requests from people walking by to add their pets as she worked. We're excited about our role in this project. We believe it highlights how art and infrastructure can work together. Murals improve how highways look and reduce graffiti. This paves the way for less graffiti in communities across Washington. In 2023, we spent over $815,000 on graffiti removal statewide. Our maintenance crews covered 700,000 square feet along our highways. "This area used to get tagged a lot, which is why they wanted to paint it." Ana said. "If it ever gets tagged again, the clear anti-graffiti coating makes it easy to wash off, instead of having to repaint it. That saves time and money." From the Evergreen State to the Evergreen Bridge, our partners are helping us pave (or paint) a path to community pride and connection. We hope this mural is the first of many more art and infrastructure partnerships to come.

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