Submitted by Whatcom Transportation Authority
In a creative collaboration between the Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) and Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA), youth artwork from Whatcomics 2024, the WCLS teen art anthology, is featured on one of WTA’s new electric buses. This “Whatcomics Bus” has been rolling through Whatcom County since January and will be on special display during the Downtown Bellingham Partnership’s First Friday Art Walk on Friday, May 2, from 5 to 7 p.m.
The bus features artwork both on its exterior and across the inside ceiling, transforming it into an immersive, rideable art exhibit.
The teen artists showcased on the Whatcomics Bus submitted their creations to WCLS in fall 2024. After review by WCLS staff, their pieces were included in the 2024 edition of Whatcomics, published this past January. Soon after, selected works were installed on one of WTA’s new zero-emission electric buses.
Created in 2007, Whatcomics is an annual teen art anthology published by the Whatcom County Library System. It’s designed to celebrate local youth’s voices and talents and give them a platform to share their work with the community. Each year, teens across Whatcom County submit original art in all forms: pencil, crayon, colored marker, digital illustration, watercolor, comics, and more.
The 2025 edition features portraits, whimsical characters, abstract pieces, and vivid landscapes. The anthology is available at local public libraries, school libraries (including Western Washington University), and the Washington State Library. You can also view it online here.
“I think it’s really cool for Whatcomics art to be on the bus. It makes the art and the person feel special and important, something most teens don’t always feel,” said artist and WCLS Teen Intern Sevilla Thomas. “Plus, having the art on the bus makes those teens feel like getting their art out in the world is a real possibility, not just some pipe dream.”
“This project brings together two beloved community resources: our public libraries and our public transit system,” said Genevieve Carrillo, Community Relations and Marketing Manager at WTA. “By featuring teen art on a bus that travels all over Whatcom County, we’re not only celebrating these young artists, we’re reminding everyone that creativity belongs in our everyday spaces.”
Visit the Whatcomics Bus at the Art Walk
When: Friday, May 2, from 5 – 7 p.m.
Where: Bellingham Station | 205 E Magnolia Street, Bellingham
About: Visitors are encouraged to hop aboard, explore the artwork, ask questions about the electric bus, and flip through a copy of the 2025 Whatcomics anthology. We are participating as part of the Children’s Art Walk during Downtown Bellingham Partnership’s First Friday Art Walk.
To learn more about WTA, visit here. For more on Whatcomics, visit here.
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