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Fire & Story Festival
How do we bring people together during the darkest, most isolating, time of winter?
A festival of folk, light, and lore. Three unforgettable nights immersed in a collection of handcrafted wood-burning fires. Over 100+ unique performers lighting up the night with song, storytelling, and multi-sensory experiences of all kinds.
Fire & Story is a family-friendly winter festival brimming with illuminated art installations, roaring fire pits, live metalsmithing, glassblowing, fire dancing, food trucks, saunas, a whiskey lounge, and so much more. This outdoor event, in Bellingham, WA, celebrates the spirit of winter while embracing community, no matter the weather.
A festival of folk, light, and lore. Three unforgettable nights immersed in a collection of handcrafted wood-burning fires. Over 100+ unique performers lighting up the night with song, storytelling, and multi-sensory experiences of all kinds.
Fire & Story is a family-friendly winter festival brimming with illuminated art installations, roaring fire pits, live metalsmithing, glassblowing, fire dancing, food trucks, saunas, a whiskey lounge, and so much more. This outdoor event, in Bellingham, WA, celebrates the spirit of winter while embracing community, no matter the weather.
Rising Tide: Speaker Series
Paper Whale was born with a speaker series. It was designed to spotlight diverse artists and changemakers, bring the creative community in Bellingham together for discourse, spark inspiration for new projects at all scales, and showcase the powerful impacts that the pursuit of passions can have in a community.
From glassblowers, dancers, and backcountry skiers to hip-hop musicians, storytellers, and the creators of artist residencies, the Rising Tide series has invited creatives making unique contributions from all over the world to Bellingham to share their insights and sources of inspiration. Each event aims to feature a live artist, sharing their skill and performance in real-time. Let's build this Creative Economy together.
From glassblowers, dancers, and backcountry skiers to hip-hop musicians, storytellers, and the creators of artist residencies, the Rising Tide series has invited creatives making unique contributions from all over the world to Bellingham to share their insights and sources of inspiration. Each event aims to feature a live artist, sharing their skill and performance in real-time. Let's build this Creative Economy together.
Public Art Activation & Consultation
Paper Whale shapes the creative heartbeat of our community, delivering artistic vision, activation, and consultation for more than three dozen installations—and growing. Born from the creation of Washington State’s largest mural, we continue to champion and expand Bellingham’s creative legacy.
Much of our civic work is supported by the City of Bellingham and Port of Bellingham, and offers a key cultural invitation for visitors as they enter the downtown core of the city. Since 2022, Paper Whale has curated a wide variety of murals and installations to support the beautification of the downtown cityscape, including:
Honoring the Salish Sea (2022) | Client: Port of Bellingham | Artists: Jason LaClair, Free Borsey, Raven Borsey | Creative Direction: Gretchen Leggitt
Pop Up Shop (2023) | Client: Port of Bellingham | Artist: Max McNett
Pop Up Shop (2024) | Client: Port of Bellingham | Artist: Erik Abel
Lakeway Drive Underpass (2025) | Client: City of Bellingham | Artist: The Worst Crew
Sunset Alley (2025) | Client: City of Bellingham | Artists: many (see project page)
Paper Whale has also consulted on dozens of other local mural projects, including notable downtown fixtures like the Firefighter Mural on Railroad Ave. (2023 | Client: ESO) and Mermaid Mural on Granary Ave. (2024 | Client: Sarah Rothenbueler).
Much of our civic work is supported by the City of Bellingham and Port of Bellingham, and offers a key cultural invitation for visitors as they enter the downtown core of the city. Since 2022, Paper Whale has curated a wide variety of murals and installations to support the beautification of the downtown cityscape, including:
Honoring the Salish Sea (2022) | Client: Port of Bellingham | Artists: Jason LaClair, Free Borsey, Raven Borsey | Creative Direction: Gretchen Leggitt
Pop Up Shop (2023) | Client: Port of Bellingham | Artist: Max McNett
Pop Up Shop (2024) | Client: Port of Bellingham | Artist: Erik Abel
Lakeway Drive Underpass (2025) | Client: City of Bellingham | Artist: The Worst Crew
Sunset Alley (2025) | Client: City of Bellingham | Artists: many (see project page)
Paper Whale has also consulted on dozens of other local mural projects, including notable downtown fixtures like the Firefighter Mural on Railroad Ave. (2023 | Client: ESO) and Mermaid Mural on Granary Ave. (2024 | Client: Sarah Rothenbueler).
Special Events
Each year, Paper Whale produces a variety of unique community-driven, arts and placemaking events that drive tactile urbanism. Throughout the year, Paper Whale also hosts themed cultural events, seasonal celebrations, and hands-on artist workshops and skill-building sessions. In addition, we curate public art tours, launch events for new creative spaces, and support ongoing educational programming and pop-up activations that bring art, storytelling, and community connection into shared public spaces.
Noisy Waters Mural Festival
Noisy Waters makes murals. For this event, world-renowned muralists gather each summer in Bellingham, WA for a weekend of mural painting, demos, music, parties, education, and inspiration.
Voted on by the public, the winners of Noisy Waters then return the following year to paint their prize wall murals around the city of Bellingham. Beloved by the community from its very first year, this festival was designed, year by year, to put Bellingham on the map as a street art destination known around the world.
It's also an all-weekend summer festival for the whole family, with live music, kids' activities, an upcycled fashion show, mural tours by bike, outdoor yoga, interactive art, food, vendors, and far more.
Voted on by the public, the winners of Noisy Waters then return the following year to paint their prize wall murals around the city of Bellingham. Beloved by the community from its very first year, this festival was designed, year by year, to put Bellingham on the map as a street art destination known around the world.
It's also an all-weekend summer festival for the whole family, with live music, kids' activities, an upcycled fashion show, mural tours by bike, outdoor yoga, interactive art, food, vendors, and far more.
Sunset Alley
A vibrant pedestrian experience is essential to building a strong sense of community in any urban space. Working with a curated selection of local, regional, and national artists, Paper Whale procured a series of installations to transform a new pedestrian pathway linking Bellingham's Arts District to the heart of downtown.
This two-block stretch of downtown alleyway continues to be transformed into a lively cultural corridor in collaboration with local businesses and 12 independent artists, including:
Steven Teller Mural | Pickford Film Center
Nikki McClure & Tilt Shift Design Light Box | Brandywine Kitchen
Hayley Furman Mural | Brandywine Kitchen
Stevie Shao Murals | SPARK Museum of Electricity
Makayla Binter, Noisy Waters Mural Festival 2024 Finalist | Wild Buffalo
Miles Toland, Noisy Waters Mural Festival 2025 1st Place Winner | Wild Buffalo
David Neevel Transformer | Angel Nails & Spa
Illustrative West Mural | Sweet Spot Gallery
Shogo Ota Mural | Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner Law
The Holly Street corner of the alley features the Coast Salish Living Mural by Coast Salish artists Free Borsey, Raven Borsey, and Roy Nicol. It is depicted on the future home of Children of the Setting Sun, Setting Sun Circle.
This two-block stretch of downtown alleyway continues to be transformed into a lively cultural corridor in collaboration with local businesses and 12 independent artists, including:
Steven Teller Mural | Pickford Film Center
Nikki McClure & Tilt Shift Design Light Box | Brandywine Kitchen
Hayley Furman Mural | Brandywine Kitchen
Stevie Shao Murals | SPARK Museum of Electricity
Makayla Binter, Noisy Waters Mural Festival 2024 Finalist | Wild Buffalo
Miles Toland, Noisy Waters Mural Festival 2025 1st Place Winner | Wild Buffalo
David Neevel Transformer | Angel Nails & Spa
Illustrative West Mural | Sweet Spot Gallery
Shogo Ota Mural | Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner Law
The Holly Street corner of the alley features the Coast Salish Living Mural by Coast Salish artists Free Borsey, Raven Borsey, and Roy Nicol. It is depicted on the future home of Children of the Setting Sun, Setting Sun Circle.
The Immersive Experience Project
Like a vacant house, vacant storefronts are challenging for an urban neighborhood. We want people to feel the vibrancy of city life, with pedestrians moving between businesses and accepting invitations to explore new possibilities for our future. So, we asked ourselves, why let these spaces sit empty?
The Immersive Experience Project (IEP) is a series of installations conceived by Paper Whale, inspired by the Art House Project in Japan. It offers a moment in time with a goal to utilize vacant spaces in the interim during (what we hope to help ensure is) a short-term vacancy.
Each immersive experience invited a local artist selected from a pool of applicants to fill a space with an alternate reality for the passersby invited to step inside. With each space playing host to multiple openings and unique events during its three-month stay, the installations were also designed to be temporary, inspiring our community to take pause and look more closely in the moment while also helping property owners secure a long-term tenant.
The Immersive Experience Project (IEP) is a series of installations conceived by Paper Whale, inspired by the Art House Project in Japan. It offers a moment in time with a goal to utilize vacant spaces in the interim during (what we hope to help ensure is) a short-term vacancy.
Each immersive experience invited a local artist selected from a pool of applicants to fill a space with an alternate reality for the passersby invited to step inside. With each space playing host to multiple openings and unique events during its three-month stay, the installations were also designed to be temporary, inspiring our community to take pause and look more closely in the moment while also helping property owners secure a long-term tenant.
Windows Alive!
Windows Alive! is a temporary design installation aimed at transforming vacant storefronts in Downtown Bellingham into vibrant, eye-catching displays. By infusing these spaces with visual art, we’re bringing energy and life to the heart of our city. This project not only beautifies but also fosters a sense of community and renewal, helping to ignite the revitalization of downtown with every window we transform.
Paper Whale collaborated with a Western Washington University BFA senior level Design course to create a series of illustrative designs. The project began in early 2025, with installation taking place in April. Windows Alive! is temporary, meaning the installations are intended to draw attention to vacancies with the goal that they will become more visible to support them in securing long-term leasing.
Paper Whale collaborated with a Western Washington University BFA senior level Design course to create a series of illustrative designs. The project began in early 2025, with installation taking place in April. Windows Alive! is temporary, meaning the installations are intended to draw attention to vacancies with the goal that they will become more visible to support them in securing long-term leasing.
Paper Whale Mâché Club
The Paper Whale Mâché Club brought community members together in the early winter of 2025 for weekly nights of collaboration and creativity, no prior experience required. Every Tuesday evening, participants are invited to play with an array of materials, techniques, and project prompts that give anyone interested an opportunity to contribute artistically to far larger community events.
Among other initiatives, the culminating project of the series was a ghostly school of larger-than-life salmon sculptures, illuminated from within to swim several times nightly through the festival crowd, drawing eyes and gasps as they passed. To find out what the Club is working on next, contact us!
Among other initiatives, the culminating project of the series was a ghostly school of larger-than-life salmon sculptures, illuminated from within to swim several times nightly through the festival crowd, drawing eyes and gasps as they passed. To find out what the Club is working on next, contact us!
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