Over 167 proud Yakima residents came to I Heart Yakima’s INSIDE OUT photoshoots this summer to declare that they love where they live. These Yakima-loving residents had their photos taken by Sally Tonkin, and their black and white portraits were printed on paper and installed, larger than life, on the side of the Ron’s Coin & Book building in downtown Yakima in September 2017. More than two dozen local volunteers helped with installation on two very warm days – a testament to community teamwork.
The INSIDE OUT: Love Where You Live project celebrates the people of Yakima. Those who live here, doing the daily work of caring for their families, neighbors, and the greater community, are the people who create a positive future for Yakima. INSIDE OUT is a global art project designed for people to share their stories and transform messages of personal identity into works of public art. There are 260,000 people – and counting – who are part of INSIDE OUT across the world.
WHY INSIDE OUT: I plan on staying in Yakima my whole life, and I think it'd be fun a fun way to show my support and love. I love what I Heart Yakima is doing, and I want to support them. Also, I work downtown and want to support any endeavor that is trying to improve downtown Yakima. We have a great downtown area, and in the last few years it's gotten even better. I'd love to be a part of downtown Yakima's growth.
LIVED IN YAKIMA: 26 years
WHY INSIDE OUT: I am in this program because I want people to know that other people care about this lovely city.
LIVED IN YAKIMA: Since birth
WHY INSIDE OUT: My age group can easily become invisible and I don't want that to become my reality in Yakima. For 30 years, I worked with wonderful people across our community, and now as many of us retire, it's exciting to see how they choose to spend their time. I now create art as a ceramicist and you can now find me working in my studio.
LIVED IN YAKIMA: 30 yearsÂ
Thank You
We are grateful for the city-wide support and enthusiasm for this project, without it—and you — INSIDE OUT Yakima wouldn’t have been possible. A big thank you also to our sponsors. Our city is filled with tremendous local talent, we are so happy to have their support.
Inside Out Yakima is – by its very nature – a temporary installation. If you’d like to keep your image forever, photographer Sally Tonkin will give you the digital file. And, you’ll live on forever right here. Thanks Yakima!
—The Team at I Heart Yakima
