Washington city embraces LGBTQ+ residents with ‘Pride Wall’

Provided by: Pride Crossing the Bridge

Pride crossing the bridge The Pride Wall in Duval, Washington, near Seattle, is a public art installation that began in 2022, with local artist Axton Barton, executive director of the nonprofit, weaving rainbow ribbons around the fence of the Duval Valley Mall. It’s a thing. What we support LGBTQ+People of the area.

Local residents refreshed the walls in 2023, but things looked suspicious that summer. Apparently the fence belonged to the city. It was not private property, as Barton and others thought. According to the Pride Across the Bridge website, several local residents decided to try to remove the wall. Some community members threw American flags over the fence, and eventually a pine tree flag associated with white Christian nationalism also appeared. As a result, the city will remove all banners and materials from city fences.

“The Pride Wall art installation will be completed in the pre-dawn hours of July 21st, the day of Sandblast and Brody Nation, the Valley’s largest local arts festivals,” the non-profit organization said on its website. It was removed by the police.”

The city’s Cultural Affairs Committee proposed a new art installation using the materials that had been removed. The City Council approved the proposal on a 7-1 vote. The walls of City Hall were chosen as the location for the new work.

“Local Valley residents came together to install a new Pride public art piece on May 7th. After 11 months of work by the community, local advocates, and incredible city leaders, the new Pride Wall The art installation stands today not just as a beacon, but as a reminder of the history of ignorance and hate that Duvall has harbored, but also of community voice, inclusion, and continued support in the Valley community. The “How Far” ribbon cutting was held on May 11th to remind us of the importance of education and discussion. “We’ve Come was the opening act of Duval’s first city-produced Pride event,” the nonprofit wrote.

Check out images of the new installation below, as well as images of previous iterations of the fenced-in Pride Wall that subsequently had to be removed.

duval city hall

Photo Gallery Duvall Pride Wall Rainbow Ribbon Weaving Community Project