A mysterious guerrilla art installation that captivated Peaceful Valley residents before it was removed by city authorities in December has returned to its concrete spot, this time with the mayor’s blessing.
The creation, named “Polly Valentine,” stands about 20 feet above the ground, gliding vertically up a concrete column that towers over the Clarke Avenue cul-de-sac and is strapped to a support on the Maple Street Bridge with steel clamps.
Polly is a mannequin dressed in a scarf, skirt and helmet, her basket full of wildflowers, who appeared sometime around Halloween, her wheels firmly attached to the pillar with a rope and steel cables. She remained above the heads of passersby for at least seven weeks before she was removed by city officials.
In December, Kirstin Davis, communications manager for the city’s Department of Public Works, wrote that the city’s position at the time was that it was “not appropriate for the public to alter or add anything to city infrastructure, facilities or equipment without prior planning and approval,” adding that workers had removed the “unapproved display.”
Neighbors were disappointed by Polly’s removal and pushed for her return. Councilwoman Kitty Klitzke, who had seen the mannequin while walking around the neighborhood, was sworn in for her first term in January and began hearing from those neighbors.
“I walked around the area a lot and was really sad when it was torn down,” Klitzke said on Tuesday. “There is something about cycling that feels like freedom, and although it was kind of weird, it was also very joyful.”
She worked with Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown, who also took office in January, and agreed that the installation should be returned and officially installed on the column.
In collaboration with Spokane Arts and various city departments, Polly was reintroduced to Peaceful Valley, where she is now back on display with a sturdier mount. Brown rode his bike into the neighborhood Tuesday night to celebrate the return, along with two of the mayor’s grandchildren and a handful of community members.
“Thanks to the great work of the neighborhood, city departments and Spokane Arts, (Polly) has been repaired and restored,” Brown said to applause from several dozen residents and their children who had gathered in front of the mannequin, eating snacks and chatting.
The identity of the artist, known as “Bikesy” in reference to guerrilla artist Banksy, is a well-known secret among neighborhood residents who declined to share it with the Spokesman-Review. Bikesy is believed to be behind the blue bicycle improbably seen perched on a concrete pillar in the middle of the Spokane River near People’s Park, which sits on the very edge of the Peaceful Valley neighborhood and has puzzled passersby since the summer of 2022.
Spokane Arts’ role in the transfer enabled the artist’s continued anonymity, Brown said Tuesday.
Klitzke said she understands the city’s previous concerns about liability and the potential danger of Polly or other guerrilla art projects, but she believes these projects, when done in a safe and harmless way, help shape the community.
“You see something every time you look around, and that just adds to the artistic element of the neighborhood,” Klitzke said. “Something like that says there are people nearby who care.”
