Anchorage put $100,000 into five public art projects, Hillside mural among them

Anchorage is putting $100,000 into five public art projects, including a Hillside mural at O'Malley and Lake Otis that the city's arts commission ranked first among eight applicants.

The rest of the money, awarded through the city's Beyond the Beige program, goes to a repainted commercial building in Spenard by Cook Inlet Housing Authority, a community mural in Girdwood, and two Anchorage Museum projects, an art-car showcase and a downtown mural called "Into the Sun." Cook Inlet Housing placed second in the commission's ranking and a third Anchorage Museum project, an Iditarod-themed Seed Lab installation, came third. All were funded.

One hurdle could slow the work. Commissioner Eiden Pospisil said applicants differed on whether they had the property owner's permission to paint the surface, which he called a big question mark for the timeline.