As reported by Seattle Times, these beautiful murals created by Andrew Morrison (Apache/Haida) were defaced over the weekend.
Judging from the photograph it looks like the vandal might have used a super-soaker or rigged extinguisher to spray their name on the wall or “drip tag”. I've seen quite a few of these tags on walls here in Chicago and the result to me has always been ugly.
Especially when the picture beneath the tag is honoring some pretty important Natives.
The eight murals — which are visible from blocks away — include 25-foot-tall black, white and gray portraits of Chief Seattle, Sitting Bull and other historic figures from local Native American communities.
The portraits, which are painted on the outside walls of Seattle Public Schools’ Wilson-Pacific School campus — once home to the Indian Heritage Middle College — are among just a few notable examples of local public art honoring Native Americans.
Unfortunate that this occurred since Morrison had finally won the fight to save these murals from being torn down. There were plans to tear down the existing building to make way for new ones for the school campus. The district had agreed to save the wall and incorporate it into the new design.
Morrison assured everyone that the murals can and will be restored.
“I’m going to do my best to fix it. … I’m going to do my best to stand tall, help bring this person to justice and restore peace and resolution,” he said.
Update On Murals
From SeattleTimes.com
Here, as a new middle school and elementary school take shape, eight murals once slated for demolition and even defaced by graffiti have come full circle.
Rescued, cleaned, carefully moved and curated, they have been in the last two weeks installed in the exterior walls of the new buildings under construction on the 17-acre campus. The idea is to bring some of the best of the old buildings at the former Wilson-Pacific School to the facades of the new buildings.
Featured photo: Mark Harrison/The Seattle Times
Last Updated on December 15, 2023 by Paul G
