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Community Means We Collage: A Free, Collaborative “Thank You” Project

How do we say a giant, meaningful thank-you to the local heroes – the volunteer firefighters in Whatcom County, who lay down their lives to train and to serve to protect us every day? We make a mess, we create a keepsake, and we do it together. 

Before the holiday rush sets in, we’re inviting you to slow down, connect with your neighbors, and add your personal touch to a collaborative art canvas. This is a completely free, drop-in community open house — people of all ages are welcome to pull up a chair, grab a piece of paper, and help build a striking abstract mixed-media gratitude piece. 

No art experience or expertise needed, whether you stay for ten minutes or two hours, your hands will help create a piece of local history. A design roadmap is already laid out on a giant canvas, so all you have to do is choose your materials (or make some) and adhere or paint them on. We’ll provide a sprawling buffet of collage elements for you to choose from. Once the community finishes the collage, we'll photograph it, make prints, and deliver them to the volunteer firefighter stations.

Starts: November 28, 2026

Time: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Admission: Free!

Location: Red Cedar Zen Community
2509 Cedarwood Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225

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Produced By: Harmony Thiessen Art

Contact Person: Harmony Thiessen

Phone: 360-389-2217

Email: harmony@harmonythiessenart.com

        We acknowledge that Whatcom County is located on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples. They cared for the lands that included what we’d call the Puget Sound region, Vancouver Island and British Columbia since time immemorial. This gives us the great obligation and opportunity to learn how to care for our surrounding areas and all the natural and human resources we require to live. We express our deepest respect and gratitude for our indigenous neighbors, the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Tribe, for their enduring care and protection of our shared lands and waterways.
Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism
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