Local abstract artist Michael Heaton, who painted the word “Yelm” on the Yelm Water Tower, will now have more of his work featured around town.
On Thursday, Aug. 24, Graham Auto Repair and the Yelm Arts Commission unveiled their collaborative project: a Toyota RAV4 painted by Heaton that will be driven to pick up and drop off customers before and after their service. The repair shop’s mission was to show its support for local artwork by donating the vehicle for the project.
Yelm Arts Commission Chair Steve Craig thought of the project and contacted Heaton, whom he has known for more than 30 years, for the project he dubbed the “Artsmobile.”
“Steve called me on the phone and started talking about this project, and I thought it was really interesting, so I said ‘yes,’ ” said Heaton, who has been a sign painter in Yelm since 1989.
Heaton’s painting features dragonflies on each of the backseat doors and a butterfly on the hood, along with wetlands grass below each insect. The words “Yelm Arts” and “Supported by Graham Auto Repair” are along each side of the vehicle as well.
Graham Auto Repair owner Troy Vaninetti has wanted to collaborate with local artists for many years. When he was approached about the project, he didn’t think twice.
“I’ve always had the thought of displaying people’s art because I’ve seen it in other shops across the United States,” he said. “It’s really cool to get community art where people can come in and look at the local art. I’ve always liked art since I was in school, so it resonated with me.”
The painting process took nearly three weeks to complete, as Heaton labored through multiple styles of paint to find the most effective one. He added that he painted the dragonfly four or five times as he wasn’t satisfied with the color.
“I tried it with acrylic paint because I’ve been messing with it for years, and it’s amazing,” he said. “But no matter what I did to the vehicle, I could not get the acrylic to stick. So after two days, I erased it. Then I had to go with actual sign paint, which is oil-based paint, and it’s step, by step, by step because it takes hours to dry. It’s very slow.”
Lacie Ugelstad, the marketing and community outreach coordinator for Graham Auto Repair, documented the painting process for the shop’s social media. She said that the company has discussed displaying local art in the waiting room and giving local artists the opportunity to sell their art at their two locations, as well as online.
“It was my pleasure to be able to record the process because I thought it was really interesting to showcase all the different steps that he had to take,” Ugelstad said. “There was a lot involved in all of those steps. It was fun.”
Upon seeing the finished painting for the first time, Craig said Heaton’s work exceeded his expectations.
“I think it’s going to have a powerful impact on the community, just seeing it around,” he said. “My own ulterior motive was if we could get our foot in the door, could this be a stimulus for other businesses to also make a contribution to the arts?
“I don’t think the City Arts Commission could be any more delighted with what has happened here,” Craig added. “This is a big deal, and I think it helps to raise the consciousness and appreciation for the arts, which I believe should be part of every community.”
Heaton said he was honored to be chosen for this project and that he is proud to support and represent the local art in the community.
“Simply put and truthfully put, it’s just what I do. It’s something that I have a passion for. I get to try new brush strokes or different ways of doing things, and I learn all the time,” he said. “To all the young people, do what you love and watch what happens. It can take you to places you would never know existed.”
