50 Stones of Summer · 2025
Public art at the Yakima Area Arboretum
What it was
Over the summer of 2025, I placed 50 hand-painted stones throughout the arboretum. Each stone had its own character, was numbered and signed (“SR’25” and “米”), and was positioned like a small surprise along the walking paths. The project asked a simple question: What happens when art is given away freely and left to travel on its own?
How it worked
The stones were located at marked points on an interactive map. Visitors could discover them by chance. They were free to leave a stone in place, move it, or keep it. Starting at stone 30, each stone had a QR code where I invited anyone who encountered one to share a photo and a short note about where it went next.
What actually happened
All 50 stones were found and taken. Only one person reached out, and they decided to pass their stone along for someone else to find. Was the experiment a failure? Maybe if you measure it by how much people shared online. But in another sense, it worked. It became a quiet study in giving something away and trusting people to do what felt right. The art lived where it began — out on the path, in the small moments of discovery that no one saw.
What I learned
- Public art doesn’t have to make noise to mean something.
- Not every exchange needs proof to be real.
- Sometimes, letting go is the best part of creating.
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