Moving On

BIG CHANGE: The kids started weekly classes at a Seattle Public Schools program a couple of weeks ago. Today, we walked away from that building, the former Wilson Pacific School, for the last time. It's destined to meet a wrecking ball (the learning program will survive, in an old school on north Queen Anne hill).

The first time we went to the campus for classes at Wilson Pacific, CJ remarked that it looked "Post Chernobyl." 

An apt description. 

I'm all for recycling, reusing, upcycling, reinventing ... that's what our whole 100 plus year old house is about. But this particular school campus ... yeah, a wrecking ball seems long overdue. Except ... there are these MARVELOUS, massive murals covering many of its exterior walls. (See Annabelle above, for scale.) They're the work of artist Andrew Morrison, who painted them over the course of 12 years.

The kids and I have admired them from afar (specifically, in our car, on roads a block or two away), on numerous occasions, but today, knowing the building's demise is imminent, we finally walked the perimeter and took a close up look at the paintings.

Most of the paintings are black and white and shade of gray, but this one included vibrant color.

This mural of Chiefs Sealth and Joseph were especially striking.

It's worth noting, the murals were mostly (mercifully) untouched by graffiti. Over the years, people have clearly respected what they are and what they stand for. 

When news came down that Wilson Pacific would be demolished, naturally people - including artist Morrison - wondered what would become of the murals.

Initially it looked like they'd be casualties of the demolition and new construction. However, an understanding and accord was reached, per a Seattle Times article here; 
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021226323_wilsonpacificmuralsxml.html

A more recent article is here, from the Indian Country Web site: http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/08/11/seattle-landmarks-board-votes-save-indian-heritage-school-156324

We're looking forward to seeing how Morrison's work is incorporated into the reinvented, new buildings on the Wilson Pacific campus in the future.