curated by Vee Hua 華婷婷
by Susan Fried
There are hundreds of murals all over the City of Seattle, and some of the city’s most iconic reside in South Seattle. Several of those murals have become cherished parts of the neighborhood. Recently, after the Martin Luther King Jr. mural on the wall outside of Fat’s Chicken & Waffles was defaced on MLK Jr. weekend, the community, including the mayor, vowed to work together to repair the damage. Similarly, when the mural celebrating the Seattle Chapter of the Black Panther Party that hangs on the fence in front of Franklin High School was vandalized in 2021, some of the members of Franklin’s Art of Resistance and Resilience Club and several local artists repaired it.
The murals of South Seattle are an eclectic group with depictions of everything from Sasquatches, dogs, and cats to expressions of solidarity, artistic renderings of the Seattle skyline, marine life, and dancers. The art is accessible to anyone driving or walking along Rainier Avenue or Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
Continue reading PHOTO ESSAY: Murals — Accessible Art for Everyoneby Mark Van Streefkerk
Three young Seattle-area artists are designing limited-edition ORCA cards in anticipation of King County Metro Transit’s RapidRide expansion. Cultural funding agency 4Culture and partners King County Metro Transit and RapidRide have developed an art plan in conjunction with three new RapidRide lines that will be introduced over the next few years. One of the opportunities of the art plan was for three young artists to design an ORCA card corresponding to the upcoming H, G, and I lines. 4Culture recently announced the selected artists: Jovita Mercado, Yasiman Ahsani, and Rey Daoed.
“We wanted to do one special-edition card for each of those lines as they start service,” said Laura Becker, the senior public art project manager at 4Culture. “We have very few opportunities for young and emerging artists in public art. That’s something that we are committed to focusing on.”
Continue reading Young Artists Will Design Limited-Edition ORCA Cards as RapidRide Expandsby Jessie McKenna
Angelina Villalobos, who goes by the moniker “179,” uses art to affect social change. Through drawing and painting, she explores her past and Latinx identity, dissecting elements of a traditional Mexican-Catholic education. She is consciously unlearning aspects of it, such as gender norms — issues, she said, “would do me harm and will ultimately hold me back.”
Continue reading Artist Angelina Villalobos, aka 179, Infuses Her Art with Art, Culture, and Family
by Jessie McKenna
Update: Due to the snow, the original Friday, Feb. 8 opening of “3 Queens,” has been rescheduled for Thursday, Feb. 21.
Crick Lont, aka Dozer of Dozer Art and Dozer’s Warehouse, has been quietly curating upcoming shows, painting walls and drizzling on the funky linoleum floors a la Jackson Pollock to create an art space on Beacon Hill. He’s partnering with local artists to put their mark on the storefront, pro bono; Leo Shallot’s trademark calligraphy ribbon design in gold on black wraps around the storefront.
“That’s what’s so great about this place, people just want to be a part if it,” Lont said.
Continue reading Dozer’s Warehouse & Gallery, an Artist’s and Art Lover’s Dream Realized
