WEST SEATTLE ART: New ‘welcoming’ mural in progress

(WSB photos)

After two texters told us late today about that mural taking shape north of the Luna Park mini-business district, on the long wall under the overpasses, we went over to find out about it. (updated) The project is led by Artolution, which describes itself as an “international community-based public art and education organization,” whose co-founder Dr. Max Frieder was on site:

Youth painters are assisting, and Urban ArtWorks is partnering. We’re told the plan for this came together at the last minute because of a grant that was close to expiring. The mural’s intent is to celebrate Seattle as a welcoming place; the project is under the One Seattle Graffiti Plan‘s Many Hands Art Initiative, with other partners including the city Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs and the UN Refugee Agency.

The mural is expected to be complete by early next week; we’ll check back!

THURSDAY UPDATE: Dr. Frieder clarifies, “This mural is not being funded by the city of Seattle, it is being funded by UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. They were able to get external funding to be able to support the project; the city only provided the permits.”

B M X October 16, 2024 (10:47 pm)

this is already looking GREAT..nice work and THANK YOU !

Sarah October 16, 2024 (11:04 pm)

This is awesome!!! What a spot for a mural, can’t wait to see it finished.

Jason October 17, 2024 (12:15 am)

Great color! I wish we could get the concrete factory on the Duwamish to make their buildings more interesting with a mural. Like Vancouver BC has done:

HS October 17, 2024 (8:53 am)

Those are so great! And I agree.
cwit October 17, 2024 (11:19 am)

That artwork is by Portuguese artists, Os Gemeos. Love their stuff.
Cf October 17, 2024 (11:52 am)

My husband and I were just wishing the same last weekend. Would be awesome to see a mural there!
1994 October 17, 2024 (9:29 pm)

They look similar to Lego people… but very fun to look at

WS MOM October 17, 2024 (5:25 am)

LOVE this! Can’t wait to see the finished result

Sarah October 17, 2024 (6:18 am)

Dear city and painters: First, it’s beautiful! Second, please put on generous layers of anti-graffiti protection coatings so if or when the worst happens, the artwork is protected and the spray paint easily removed. (And then the coating reapplied.) And ditto, Jason! There are so many large urban industrial canvases ripe for art in WS.

Love Love Love October 17, 2024 (6:21 am)

Love it, more of this! Also love the new colors painted on the Senior Center building.

SP October 17, 2024 (7:14 am)

I had the good luck to observe the painting when stuck there during yesterday’s traffic jam. The burst of color is inspiring!

momosmom October 17, 2024 (7:33 am)

“A grant that was close to expiring” which means if the City didn’t find something to spend their annual allotted money then they wouldn’t get the same amount or more next year. Metro does the same thing, husband hears it firsthand from the “bigwigs” when he’s in making their deliveries, hundreds of new buses sitting in their lot and never been driven on the road.

CAM October 17, 2024 (10:20 am)

As a daily bus rider I can tell you they’ve just put out fleets of new buses that are all clearly new and redesigned. Just because they are waiting to use something doesn’t make it a waste of money.
- momosmom October 17, 2024 (12:15 pm)
  
  Per Metro…I did not say it was a waste of money but didn’t think I needed to S P E L L it out either. Metro was an example, if whom ever doesn’t spend/use all the money they were granted for the year then more than likely the powers to be will not allot them the same or more than the previous years allotment so again Metro spent their money on new buses (which is great) but they do not use them immediately only when necessary. Use it or lose it.
  - CAM October 17, 2024 (1:45 pm)
    
    Sorry, are you claiming Metro didn’t need new buses? Do you know how many times this year alone I’ve been on a bus that had to stop at the top of the bridge because it broke down? Or the number of times I waited for a bus that never showed up because it broke down at an earlier stop and went out of service, which then overloaded every bus following it? They bought new buses because they needed them and they have now put them on the streets. That’s a good thing, not something to grumble in a comment section about.
    
    And if we’re claiming things are “per metro” I’d love to see the official press release you’re referencing. Gossip doesn’t count.
    - momosmom October 17, 2024 (6:38 pm)
      
      Oh goodness Cam I didn’t say Metro didn’t need new buses. I was using them as an example of why allowed money needs to be used before the yearend per what he was told by Metro themselves a few years ago. But if you want to insist my husband didn’t hear or see for himself then so be it and as for grumbling in a comment, well…
I smell something … October 17, 2024 (10:45 pm)

So according to your story, Metro is sitting on a bunch of new busses and not using them, and nobody knows about this except a delivery person who the “big wigs” for some reason decided to entrust with this information. Riiiight.
- momosmom October 18, 2024 (12:50 pm)
  
  @Cam & I smell something, To both of you, thank you, I will let my husband know that he is a liar and I will never ever believe what he tells me again.👍

Tax Payer October 17, 2024 (9:08 am)

City funded. How much was this funding? Fair question.

Chuck October 17, 2024 (11:00 am)

I’d like to know what the cost is too.

AC October 17, 2024 (12:22 pm)

We’ve put in an email to WS Blog to try to clarify. This project is not being funded by the city. The city has helped with some logistics but the project is funded by USA for UNHCR.