ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Several recent art installations are bringing more color to downtown Anchorage. One of the most recent — thirty-two colorful metal salmon created by Anchorage artist Romney Dodd. The fish were recently hung from lampposts on E street between 4th and 6th avenues. The salmon spin around when the wind blows, making for a whimsical public art experience.
Another set of recent editions to downtown are two murals by artist Rhonda Scott on the side of First United Methodist Church at 9th and G streets. One of the murals was designed in part by local children, the other is a huge pair of butterfly wings, perfect for photo ops and selfies.
The artwork is funded by a surprising source — parking meters. Melinda Gant with the Anchorage Community Development Authority and EasyPark Alaska said the program called Park It Forward gives out grants to artists to produce work for downtown.
“The whole idea behind it is we wanted to give back to our community through art and invigorating public space to bring more people downtown to explore.”
Gant said a lot of the public art projects funded in 2025 are just finishing up now. EasyPark expects to fund a new round of grants in the fall.
Another dazzling mural is further Downtown at 4th Ave. and Denali Street. Painted by artist Crystal Worl, the bright blue mural that adorns the Mckinley Building is called “White Raven Dreams of a Salmon Return”. Gant said the artwork is funded by a program initiated by Mayor Suzanne LaFrance called Beyond the Beige in conjunction with AEDC. Five projects were selected for grants in 2026 in Downtown, Spenard and Girdwood.
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