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To celebrate the City of Yelm’s centennial anniversary, or 100 years since official incorporation, Centralia artist Bill Wilson donated a sculpture, titled “Centennial Bloom,” to the city. The piece of art was officially placed at the Yelm-Rainier-Tenino trailhead in August.

Wilson’s artwork is at the Yelm-Rainier-Tenino trailhead near the corner of state Route 507 and Mosman Avenue, across the street from Yelm City Park. The local artist was thrilled to see one of his metal sculptures used to honor the city’s centennial anniversary in 2024.

“It’s just wonderful to have my art displayed out in Yelm. It’s a nice exposure to me, and I get to add something to the city. I hope that others do so as well. It’s fun standing there and looking at it because you can see the tin man water tower, too,” Wilson said. “I just hope it’s enjoyed, well received, and that it contributes to the city there. I was very happy to put it in that location because it’s a nice, prominent spot along that trail. I’m just happy to see it displayed there.”

Wilson said he’d built the metal sculpture several years back and had brought it to Yelm once before to have it painted, later returning it to Centralia. He added that he made the piece of art out of recycled argon cylinders, typically used for welding.

“I cut them into pieces and put them back together in that shape. It’s mathematically based so that it shows a cube deforming into another geometric shape called a dodecahedron up at the top. You can see the transformation of it between the bottom and the top,” Wilson said. “(Yelm Arts Commission Chairman) Steve Craig contacted me about the possibility of donating it to the city. After meeting with the city, we looked at some potential places to put it and eventually one was settled on. I brought it back out to Yelm, and with the help of the city, we installed it.”

The local artist added that he specializes in metal sculpture artwork and has donated another piece of art to Tenino earlier in the year. That metal sculpture is also located on the Yelm-Rainier-Tenino trail.

“It’s got a prominent place on the trail,” he said. That’d be another instance of my artwork, locally. I’ve got pieces at (Tenino’s Monarch Sculpture Park and Art Center), and I’ve got a piece in Centralia along Tower Street there. My artwork is around.”

Wilson’s “Centennial Bloom” sculpture joins Lyman Whitaker’s “Ponderosa” statue as recent pieces of artwork brought to the city through the Yelm Arts Commission. In August, the Yelm Arts Commission supported Bob’s Tavern, which used local artist Michael Heaton to construct a patriotic mural on the outside of the bar, through a beautification grant. Craig has been a vocal supporter of bringing more art into Yelm throughout the last several years, and Wilson highlighted him as a big part in giving the “Centennial Bloom” sculpture a permanent home in Yelm.

“Steve Craig is an enthusiastic promoter of art, and he encouraged and helped me with this process,” Wilson said. “He helped make the necessary connections with the city, and he also showed up when I delivered it and helped arrange for the city to bring its equipment to install it. The process was really smooth.”