Selah is getting a temporary makeover — one storefront at a time.
Hand-painted flowers are beginning to appear on windows across town, part of a colorful effort leading up to the Yakima Area Arboretum’s annual Garden Tour on June 13 and 14.
“We’re featuring a lot of gardens in Selah, and we wanted to bring the community together,” said Stormi Winder, venue sales manager for the Yakima Area Arboretum. “Selah is important to us, and there are some beautiful gardens in this area.”
Winder is also the artist behind each window. She’s been painting her way through town, making stops at local businesses like King’s Row, Burger Ranch, and Ford.
Each design is different, but the theme remains consistent — bold, bright flowers that echo the season.
“I love getting out of the office and stretching my legs,” she said. “Each window is a little different. This one probably took me about an hour and a half, but larger ones, like at Kings Row, took the better part of an afternoon. I don’t mind though — I love being outside, in the shade, painting.”
While the project isn’t officially part of the garden tour, it’s closely tied to it. The artwork is meant to build buzz and create a visible connection among participating businesses.
“I think people will start to notice all these flowers and wonder what’s going on,” Winder said. “They’ll see this consistent theme and maybe stop to find out more. It makes you curious — why are all these windows suddenly covered in flowers?”
This is the first time the Arboretum has tried anything like this ahead of the garden tour, and for Winder, it’s a creative way to bring more visibility to the event while also engaging the community.
“People come by and say things like, ‘I thought this kind of window painting was a lost art,’ or ‘That’s beautiful,’” she said. “It’s just been a lot of really positive feedback, and that makes me happy.”
The floral displays are expected to remain up through the tour.
Businesses interested in joining the campaign can contact the Yakima Area Arboretum for more information.