All public art is protected in Yakima from damage and graffiti thanks to the Millennium Arts Foundation started in 2003 by Elizabeth Herres Miller of Yakima. She's now a board member of the foundation that was originally started as part of the creation of the Millennium Arts Plaza downtown. But since then it's grown into a foundation that's concerned about all of Yakima's public art. Miller tells KIT News "the purpose of the foundation is to maintain public art in our community so it will never become an issue now or in the future."
Herres-Miller, who's been working with the city on the Bins of Light art project says the foundation has a fund of nearly $700,000 to maintain public art in downtown Yakima. That means whenever art is damaged or tagged by graffiti vandals there will always be a fund to draw upon to fix or maintain art. The foundations' money comes largely from donations from the community.

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