SPOKANE, Wash. – After being removed by city officials in December, a mysterious and beloved work of art, dubbed “Polly Valentine,” has returned home to the Peaceful Valley with the blessing of Mayor Lisa Brown.
Polly Valentine is a mannequin, riding her bicycle straight up a concrete column of the Maple Street Bridge; a basket full of flowers leads the way up the vertical trek. The artist behind the funky creation remains a secret, widely known by neighbors in the area; however, their lips are sealed.
“The first time it was put up, I was like, ‘How did that get there,’” one neighbor said.
“I think it’s pretty cool looking to see it up there,” another added, gazing up toward Polly.
“I think it’s quirky and cute and adds a lot of character for our little Peaceful Valley down here,” one more said.
“At first it was like, ‘Oh, there’s a bike there,’ and it took a second to realize like, ‘wow, there’s a bike there,’” a young girl said.
As Polly’s creator remains a secret, the love these neighbors have for the unique addition to the Peaceful Valley is anything but.
When city officials removed the artwork in December, shortly after its appearance sometime around Halloween, due to a lack of city approval, neighbors in the area were sad to see the mannequin go.
According to the Spokesman-Review, city officials said it was inappropriate for the public to attach things to city infrastructure without city approval. However, the admiration the neighborhood had for Polly was too great, so they went to newly elected councilwoman Kitty Klitzke for help.
“It’s always kind of sad to see all those little, independent, but fun touches go away,” Klitzke said.
Having been an art major in college, Klitzke cares more than you might think about ensuring art stays in Spokane. So does Mayor Lisa Brown, who within her first 100 days in office made it a priority to dismantle barriers that stop the arts from flourishing in the Lilac City.
In her 100 days report, Mayor Brown said she acknowledged the important “role the arts place in shaping happy, healthy communities.”
“When things are rough, there’s always art, and people expressing themselves and expressing care about our community is always going to be helpful and always something that we need to see,” Klitzke said.
So, the two city leaders got to work, and quickly, Polly Valentine was given city approval to ride back up the bridge.
“As all miracles do, she came back again and we’re just elated, I think it’s going to be a real icon for the neighborhood,” a neighbor said on the day the artwork was reinstalled.
Before Polly was removed last year, Klitzke had seen her traveling up the bridge, as the councilwoman walked through the neighborhood.
She said she’s eager to get back down to the Peaceful Valley, knowing now how truly important the unique piece of art is to the small community.
“It’s a good reminder that the more local you get, the easier it is to find people who are genuinely caring and who are coming from a sincere place,” Klitzke said.
Polly Valentine was reinstalled last week, this time with sturdier mounts to the concrete column. Back home in her lively, colorful, and tight-knit neighborhood, Polly is giving a little extra character to the Peaceful Valley.
“It draws interest to the area I think, and I feel like it gives everybody motivation to do something of their own that’s kind of interesting, and it becomes a community event,” a neighbor said.
“I think it’s super cool and I think it’s special to our cul-de-sac, but I feel like if it was everywhere, it wouldn’t be as special to here, because it’s awesome here,” another added.
According to the Spokesman-Review, the artist behind the bicycle-riding mannequin, known as “Bikesy,” is a nod to guerilla artist Banksy. Aside from Polly Valentine, Bikesy is also suspected of being responsible for the blue bike placed on top of a concrete pylon in the middle of the Spokane River near People’s Park.
The creative artist’s identity may never be revealed. Councilwoman Klitzke thinks that’s what makes this all so special.
“Sometimes the mystery is good to have, so I would encourage people not to try too hard to find out who it was because it kind of takes the fun out of it,” she said.
