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Waterfront group launches "West by Northwest" mural festival to expand Port Angeles public art
Summary
The Port Angeles Waterfront District described plans for a four-day mural festival April 24-27 that will produce five 96-square-foot murals as a pilot, funded in part by an LTAC grant and other grants; organizers said murals will be installed by mid-October and maintained collaboratively with wall owners for five years.
The Port Angeles Waterfront District plans to host the first West by Northwest Mural Festival from Thursday, April 24 to Sunday, April 27, producing five roughly 96-square-foot murals as a pilot project and aiming to expand citywide public art in coming years.
Why it matters: Sam Grello, executive director of the Waterfront District, told the council murals ‘‘beautify neighborhoods and murals are placemaking,’’ and said the project is intended to boost downtown foot traffic, support local artists and signal positive momentum for the community.
Festival details: Organizers will live-paint five 3-sheet (4-by-8) panels at a publicly accessible hub with music, kids activities and presentations. The murals will be worked on during the four-day festival and finished by May; the plan is to install the completed panels over the summer so they are displayed by mid-October and remain in place for about five years. Grello said the Waterfront District won an LTAC grant last year and additional outside grants to fund part of the effort.
Selection, ownership and maintenance: Walls and artists are selected by a committee of local arts professionals. The Waterfront District will own the commissioned mural panels and share maintenance responsibilities with building owners for five years. Grello described the Waterfront District—s role as a matchmaker and owner to reduce the financial barrier for property owners to host murals.
Applications and artists: The solicitation drew more than 50 applications: about 25 from the North Olympic Peninsula and about 25 from the Seattle area, plus some international submissions. Grello said artist stipends for the pilot are modest (about $2,000 per mural, or roughly $2025 per square foot) and that organizers expect the program to grow so they can commission larger, full-wall murals in future years.
Council response and next steps: Council members praised the effort. Councilor Amy said she—s enjoyed the mural already at the hub and welcomed the community-placemaking benefits. Councilor Navarro suggested public art can slow traffic and improve safety. Grello asked for volunteers and partners; he said he is open to turning the festival over to the local arts council or other organizations once it is established.
Context and caveats: Grello noted some older murals remain at risk because of building sales, stairway replacement projects or deterioration; he urged the city and partners to help preserve prominent works such as the MV Calakula mural and the Olympic Visions mural near the Dire Fountain. The Waterfront District will continue outreach to wall owners and arts organizations to expand the program.
