A rendering of what the nighttime projection animation will look like on the alley wall of Setting Sun Circle.
Coast Salish Living Mural to Debut Nighttime Projection Animation in Downtown Bellingham During the Week of Indigenous Peoples' Day
Coast Salish mural artists with Setting Sun Circle will join the community to unveil the first-ever illuminated projection animation on the Coast Salish Living Mural, which adorns the Native-led nonprofit’s future downtown home. The nighttime projection will bring vibrant light and motion to the mural’s depictions of the region’s Indigenous history technologies.
Native-led storytelling nonprofit Setting Sun Circle will debut a nighttime projection animation illuminating the Coast Salish Living Mural for the first time. The event marks the next phase of the mural, which honors the stories, presence, and true history of the Coast Salish people on the land where Bellingham now stands. Coast Salish mural artists Tsx'vilum Free Borsey , Xwesultun Raven Borsey, and De'sh'he'um Roy Nicol will be on hand to share the inspiration behind the mural, including its depictions of animal relatives such as kweleng'sen (eagle), scha'newx (salmon), and qwe'thol'mechin (orca); places including Xw'otqwem (Whatcom Creek) and Komo Kulshan (Mt. Baker); and Indigenous technologies such as the Sxwo'le (reef net) and traditional clam gardens.
This occasion marks the culmination of a public art installation made possible with the support of the City of Bellingham and Bellingham Tourism Commission.
WHEN:
Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. — held during the week of Indigenous Peoples' Day.
WHERE:
The alley between Bay Street and Commercial Street, where it meets Holly Street, in downtown Bellingham. The mural adorns the brick facade of Setting Sun Circle’s future home on Holly Street, which will open to the public as a cultural hub and immersive experience center in 2027.
WHO:
Setting Sun Circle Executive Director Darrell Hillaire
Coast Salish mural artists and Setting Sun Circle team members, Tsx'vilum Free Borsey Xwesultun Raven Borsey, and De'sh'he'um Roy Nicol
Community members and supporters, including representatives from City of Bellingham’s Arts Commission and the Bellingham Tourism Commission
WHY:
The projection animation is the newest chapter in a mural that returns teachings carried Since Time Immemorial to the heart of downtown Bellingham. Unveiling it during the week of Indigenous Peoples' Day centers the ongoing presence and relationship of the Coast Salish people to this land, near an original Lummi village site along Xw'otqwem (Whatcom Creek). Throughout the winter, the nighttime light projection animation will transform a once dark alley to a place of curiosity, wonder and cultural learning. It is also an example of the kinds of immersive experiences rooted in Native art and innovation that the community will encounter year-round (not just on Indigenous Peoples’ Day) when Setting Sun Circle’s new home and cultural hub opens to the public in 2027.
CONTACT:
Jay Kosa, Director of Strategic Communications
Setting Sun Circle
jkosa@settingsuncircle.org
215-262-3714