Wallingford Chamber of Commerce pres Colleen Kurke let us know that artists Andrew Morrison and Kathy Liao are starting on the WUMP! mural painting project this Saturday:
The first a many murals is getting started this Sat on the side wall of Tully’s on 45th and Meridian. WUMP! (Wallingford Urban Mural Project ) will be under way starting that day. We have Artist Andrew Morrison and Kathy Liao who will lead this project. We would like to invite other artist to participate. Please contact Colleen Kurke at [email protected] if someone wants to be a part of this effort or if you would like to donate $ to this great cause.
Thanks for putting the word out. We had great community support on Saturday. The team will be working on Wednesday the night of the art walk and next Saturday too! Then it’s on to Bartell’s wall!
I am a huge supporter of public art and think that it greatly improves the texture and value of urban life. I am reluctant to criticize because public art rarely gets funding and is even less often installed. However, I feel like these murals (Cutz and Tully’s) are kind of chaotic and slapdash. Are they both by WUMP?
The one by Cutz seemed appropriate when I thought it was done by the canibus club. I think the one on the wall by Tully’s is ghastly. Too many artists. Will the one on Bartell’s be designed and painted by the same group? The first of many? I don’t want to be incendiary, but is there a way for the community to weigh in and evaluate the content and quality of future murals?
I must chime in here (long time reader…first time commenter) and agree strongly with what Carrie said above. I too am a HUGE supporter of public art, and I love how mural-happy Seattle and our lovely neighborhood of Wallingford are. I think that murals have a unique power to draw communities together, and I truly applaud the efforts of WUMP to bring fresh art and color to our community. Murals can create a sense of communal pride and, when executed well, be truly beautiful amongst their surroundings. I wish that were true for the new murals at 45th & Meridian.
Despite what are obviously the best of intentions, the two new murals there, particularly the most recent one on the Tully’s building, are poorly designed and shoddily executed. There appears to be no planning or forethought put into the pieces, and rather they seem almost to be put together on the fly, which seems like a very challenging and frankly kind of foolish way to create a mural.
We are surrounded by fantastic execution in this area right in our neighborhood. The mural under I99 on 45th street, the Art Walk Robot on the side of the Bottleworks building…murals which have been planned specifically to fit a particular space and executed by artists in order to make them look finished and polished. by contrast the new murals going up look like elementary school projects…and not in a good or charming way.
I would like to second the suggestion that we allow the community to weigh in on what is going up on our shared spaces. I’m the last person to try and bog well-intended projects like this down in process, too many opinions and red tape, but I’m fearful that if these are the first in a series of several murals that we’re going to surround ourselves with mediocre art that doesn’t really mean anything to anyone or have any sense of place.
I hope that this criticism will be seen as constructive and delivered with good intention and not to hurt. Again, I think that the concept is fantastic, we just need the work to live up to the idea.
Well I’m glad people are speaking out. I’m also glad that it’s the first time for some people to express their opinion. We appreciate your constructive remarks. Thankfully we have had an overwhelming positive response to our mural. FYI the artist aren’t done and plan to do the finishing touches on this mural in the near future. CUTZ’s mural is a work in progress. my personal project. To respond to your remarks…there was thought to the Tully’s mural. Foolish and elementary hmmmm. Ok lucliky we all have have our opinions.
By all means contact me with your ideas and hopefully you can supply your artistic skills and time and monetatry help to move forward with this project. That would really a great way to make a real difference.
I’m serious I will set up a meeting with you to meet with us and speak your peace face to face.
Just contact me and let’s meet ASAP. Next week?
In the mean just don’t look at the wall.
Thanks for providing more information Colleen and for being even in your response. I hate leaving negative comments because I can get riled and hurt by them even when they are not directed at me or something I am passionate about.
I respect the commitment you have to the work you are doing. Driving by Tully’s this morning I noticed the mural is more fleshed out, which is a major improvement.
well, info on the wall alerting people to the IN PROGRESS status would be helpful