Three vibrantly decorated pianos will be available for use by Bellevue residents beginning on Friday, July 17 as a part of the second season of the Pianos in the Parks program.

“We can’t wait for these pianos to come to Bellevue’s beautiful parks and open space,” said Mary Pat Byrne, the city of Bellevue’s arts specialist. “Bellevue is one of the state’s most diverse communities, which you can certainly see in our parks, but music speaks to us all.  We have some great conversations ahead.”

The three instruments are the first to be placed in and around Bellevue. Although this is the second year of the program, no pianos were displayed in Bellevue last year.

One of the pianos will be placed in Ashwood Plaza, adjacent to the Bellevue Regional Library in downtown Bellevue. The piano — designed by Larine Chung — will be the center of the Bellevue Pianos in the Parks kick-off event, featuring piano performances by Mayor Claudia Balducci and others.

Chung, who is currently on faculty at the Eastside Artist Collaborative, trained as a classical pianist since her childhood before pursuing art in college, according to her bio.

The other two pianos will be displayed at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens and Downtown Park. They will be available for use by the public for a month, ending on Aug. 16.

Throughout that time, people of all skill levels and musical persuasions are also invited to enter a Pianos in the Parks video contest for a chance to perform as part of the Seattle Center’s Concerts at the Mural presented by KEXP 90.3 FM on Friday, Aug. 21.

Entrants should upload a video of their performance of original or public domain music using one of the participating pianos to the Pianos in the Parks website.

At the conclusion of this summer’s Pianos program, the instruments will be sold to the highest bidder via an online auction. The auction begins on July 16, and closes at 5 p.m. on Aug. 13. Proceeds from the auction will benefit Bellevue Parks and Recreation, the city’s arts program and other organizations.