No Surprise: Edmonds a Finalist for Prettiest Painted Places in America

Edmonds is a finalist in the national Prettiest Painted Places in America competition.

"Wow, I can't believe we made it this far," said Jeff Stilwell, municipal liaison of the Edmonds Mural Society, who added that Mural Society's 14 murals figured prominently in the city's competitive entry. Also included was photography by a local high school student, Tomas Green, of Meadowdale High School.

"The Chamber of Commerce is delighted to see the city of Edmonds receiving the recognition it deserves," said Ailsa Kellam, Edmonds Chamber of Commerce business and communications manager. "Edmonds is a vibrant city with a thriving art community, which contributes to economic vitality."

Added Stilwell: "We wouldn't be here without Ailsa and the Chamber. It was her idea to enter the competition to begin with and her support has been amazing."

This announcement comes on the heels of Mayor Dave Earling's proclamation of October as Arts and Humanities Month Tuesday at the Edmonds City Council meeting. "The timing of this announcement is fabulous," said Stilwell. "Edmonds benefits in a variety of ways from the dedication of over 30 arts-oriented organizations in our community."

Ten finalists from the Northwest United States were named by the Paint Quality Institute in this, the last round of the competition. In addition to Port Towsend and Vashon-Maury Island in Washington, other finalists are Albany, OR; Astoria, OR; Butte, MT; Eureka, CA; Ferndale, CA; Northwest Crossing, OR; and Wallace, ID.

After further evaluation in the coming weeks, two of the 10 will be named the prettiest painted places in the Northwest, alongside winners from five other regions of the U.S., to make up the 12 prettiest painted places in America.

A "prettiest painted place" is a special town or neighborhood with exceptional community-wide "curb appeal" due to optically pleasing or creative use of exterior paint color, according to Debbie Zimmer, paint and color expert for the Paint Quality Institute. The Paint Quality Institute is an informational entity whose mission is to educate the public about quality paints and coatings.

To see a complete list of the 60 finalists involved in the search for the "Prettiest Painted Places in America," go to http://blog.paintquality.com/ppp/.

All murals raised by the Edmonds Mural Society, a nonprofit organization, are paid for through private donations by the organization's Members. For more information, visit EdmondsMuralSociety.org and Facebook.com/EdmondsMuralSociety or stop by 409 Main Stt in downtown Edmonds or call 425-776-3778.