Join us in celebrating our new mural, created by Ryan Henry Ward (Henry) and Angelina Villalobos (One Seven Nine). Come visit the Sasquatches any time at the Parent Trust Center for Strong Families, located on the corner of Walker St. and Rainier Avenue South. They love to pose for photos.[spacer height=”20px”]
The Sasquatches started spreading joy long before the paint was dry.
People stopped on the street to take pictures – and talk to the artists. Cars honked and slowed down. Our staff was unable to stay away during the weekend of the painting, many of us coming by to watch our building be reborn.
The original mural, created by Henry and a team of four artists in 2010, was damaged by graffiti in the spring of this year. It was immediately obvious that the damage was too extensive for restoration. The neighborhood said a sad goodbye to “The Walrus on the Bicycle.”
[spacer height=”50px”]Without Angelina and Henry’s generosity, not only would we have lost our beloved mural, but we would need to take money away from our programming to cover over the wall.
“As soon as a saw it, I knew we couldn’t save it,” said Henry, “So I thought, ‘let’s do it again. Let’s show people love always wins.’”
“The idea of doing that, just painting it over,” says Associate Director Linda McDaniels, “was devastating.”
Henry is an iconic Seattle muralist, who has painted more than 260 murals during his career – in Seattle, and around the world. Angelina, pseudonym One Seven Nine, is an art activist and Seattle native. Art Primo Seattle generously supplied paint for the project.
By donating their work to us in such a visible location, Henry and Angelina are giving a priceless gift to the Parent Trust families and all South Seattle.
“When I heard where the project was,” said Angelina, “I knew I was going to say ‘yes.’ I grew up in South Seattle. This is art for everyone.”
While Angelina and Henry were working, a dad stopped on the street to talk. He told us that his daughter burst into tears the day she looked out the car window and saw the damage to her favorite figure on the old mural – the walrus on the bicycle. He said the sight broke her heart.
He couldn’t wait to bring her by to see the new mural. These Sasquatches are for her – and for all our families, all our neighbors.
“It means so much to have Henry and Angelina create something new for us,” says McDaniels. “It’s positive energy we can all feel. We were blessed by all the artists who painted the first one, and we are re-blessed to share the new one with our neighbors.”[spacer height=”50px”]
Visit Sareal Media on Facebook >> for a wonderful time lapse video of the mural’s creation.
More about One Seven Nine >>
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