I drove through downtown Greenwood late this morning and happened to see the new mural being installed in front of the arson site next to Taproot Theatre. As soon as they were done, they covered it in black plastic to prepare for tomorrow’s unveiling at 11 a.m.
The mural features a phoenix rising from the fire (those flames you see on the far right), a Greenwood firefighter rescuing a PAWS Cat City cat during the Oct. 23 arson, muscle cars from the Greenwood Car Show, and other iconic neighborhood images.
Three artists from Seattle Mural Art created the mural: Zachary Bohnenkamp, Kevin “Sensei23″ Sullivan, and John Osgood. We’ll bring you a full report after tomorrow’s unveiling.
And we just heard from Cindy Potter, one of the trustees of the Greenwood Fire Relief Fund, who reports the relief fund has now collected more than $14,000 for the businesses affected by the string of arsons.
26 responses so far ↓
1 Trevor // Dec 30, 2009 at 1:54 pm
I’m really excited about this mural. I’m brand new to the neighborhood - moved in a few weeks ago - and I love the sense of community. Everyone seems really proud to live here, symbolized wonderfully by this mural and the Fire Relief Fund.
2 heh // Dec 30, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Are you kidding me? This looks like it belongs in LA..
3 john walker // Dec 30, 2009 at 3:01 pm
greenwood is the new LA, didn’t ya notice? graffiti, crime. watch your back.
4 Phinneyman // Dec 30, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Hey, John Walker: How about a bit less doom and gloom? We read your posts. They’re starting to get a bit tiresome. Instead of whining, what about actually doing something to make things better? Consider being active in GAIN. GAIN helps remove garffiti.
5 credo // Dec 30, 2009 at 4:45 pm
So you’d rather have an ugly gray or plywood wall that would immediately be tagged anyway? This is great, and I appreciate the artists for their work.
6 Jamps // Dec 30, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Ok–just my opinion here–but I don’t really like the mural either. From what I can see of it in this pic, I think it seems out of place too. But I’m open minded, maybe it’ll grow on me!
7 Mike // Dec 30, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Agreed, some of the pics are totally random–and seem out of place.
8 etta // Dec 30, 2009 at 5:00 pm
I think it’s great. Kudos to John Osgood and Co.
9 john walker // Dec 30, 2009 at 5:46 pm
phinneyman, i’ve been in this neighborhood since 1963, back when fred meyer was a dirt lot and 85th st was gravel up near where the freeway is. i’ve been in business on greenwood for 30 years. i’ve seen the area get worse and worse. i cleaned up graffiti along the street for quite a while, even though the old owner of the gyro store got the credit, not that i care. i feel that i can tell it like it is by now. my comment was 1/2 tongue in cheek and 1/2 reality. if you don’t relate to that, just pass my posts by. do you think gain can do much by walking the street in the daytime once in a while? what we need are more cops. it would be nice to have regular assigned officers here that you can actually meet and talk to. maybe mr mcginn can improve things. by the way, i’m john walker, who are you?
10 heh // Dec 30, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Credo - Yes, regular old plywood would be better. Who says the mural won’t get tagged over either?
11 Greenwood_D // Dec 30, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Guaranteed the mural gets tagged over.
Taggers are an envious lot. This mural is good, therefore, it is a target as much as any blank plywood wall.
I kind of like it, but will save my final opinion until I walk by it. I DO think Greenwood has a bit more to offer other than Classic Cars
It would have been nice to see the kids get involved on this one. Kind of bring the community together through the lil’ ones. Not that I don’t like the guys’ work.
12 Cedar // Dec 30, 2009 at 6:51 pm
I like the mural. Y’all are old.
13 Greenwood // Dec 30, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Seriously. Mural looks great. Y’all b*tch and moan too much!
14 Trix // Dec 30, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Very well put, Greenwood.
Yeah, it might get tagged, but why complain about something that hasn’t happened yet?
Enjoy the art.
15 david stoesz // Dec 30, 2009 at 8:38 pm
WHY don’t you like the mural? “Too LA”=Too hiphop/hispanic/black/young? I’m not accusing, just trying to understand the objections.
16 TheGreenhood // Dec 30, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Like the mural or not, the sentiment behind it is wonderful. I, too, feel sad the the tagging is perhaps inevitable. Until that block is rebuilt I appreciate the local artists giving their time and I am proud of my neighborhood for it’s efforts.
17 Gwoodgirl // Dec 30, 2009 at 9:21 pm
I think it looks cool!
18 George's Corner // Dec 31, 2009 at 5:24 am
Why can’t you People just enjoy the Art and Effort put into this Project and leave it at that!
I Really like it and will take the time to be at the unveiling.
19 D. Sanchez // Dec 31, 2009 at 10:20 am
I hope that the mural was free.
20 Phinneyman // Dec 31, 2009 at 10:26 am
Hi john Walker. I’m Phinneyman. I own my home here, my kids go to school here, and we love this neighborhood. Good to meet you! My kid loves the old truck near your shop. I know you’re active in the hood and I like how you’ve stood up for other small business owners. But I’m reacting to your rather sour and negative posts (and the posts only). I apolgize if I offended you. That wasn’t my aim. I don’t think comments like yours above, however, do much good. They tend to perpetuate a growing negative image of the hood. I don’t see how that’s going to do anything but keep people away and encourge flight.
Allow me to use an example. I don’t think that a crafted and thoughtful mural intended to pay tribute to the local firefighters and remember the arsons makes Greenwood anything like Los Angeles or most big cities. People walk around here, they’re easy-going and approachable, and necessary items are accessible by foot. We have access to wonderful green space, great local shops and plenty of kids live here. The zoo, Ballard and Green Lake are close. Yet you suggest in your posts that we should resign to graffiti, crime and you even advise us to watch our backs. Is Greenwood really that bad for you? I know you’ve seen many changes over the years, but have you seen nothing good?
Phidgewood has it’s problems and crime is an issue. We can certainly agree on that point. I’ve been a victim of a crime here, but I wouldn’t stay here if I really felt the risks of harm to me or my family were high. Most of the crime here is petty crime and property crime. And such crime such as car prowls, is widely publicized on on phinneywood.com when it happens. (Pre-blogs, how many local crimes were publicized?) Of course, we need more cops here. And I’ve written Mike about that before. There appear to be no changes coming, so let’s focus on what we can do in the meantime.
For example, we should watch not just our own backs but also each others’ backs. Know your neighbors by name. Invite one over for coffee. Look out for them, and they will do the same for you. Folks should never hesitate to call the police if they witness crime and should lobby Mike (who lives here) to get more cops on the beat.
I also think we should beware of the broken window theory. If we don’t clean up trash and graffiti here, nobody will and it will invite more crime, grafitti and trash. And punks like nothing more than a hood with lots trash, graffiti and such. I make it a habit to clean the street/gutter around my and my neighbors’ house. I find trash, cigarettes and all kinds of discarded rubbish. I’ve also had to clean up graffitti in the alley. I don’t know if my neighbors notice what I do, but I don’t care. In the end, it benefits the hood and me. And I’ve found that a little goes a long way. Thanks for cleaning up the graffiti even if you didn’t get credit.
Overall, this is a great place to live and it will improve if everyone takes ownership of the problems. The arsons were terrible. We were terrified. But they brought people together to work toward a common purpose. The Lutheran Church was packed with involved people and for the first time I saw all my neighbors collected in one place, like a militia defending its town. Did the meeting actually result in something? I’m not sure. But I know that I never saw anything like that in any of the big cities were I’ve lived before. It was reassuring to know so many other people live here and care.
So instead of doom and gloom, how about emphasizing the good and working to improve the bad? If I didn’t do a good job conveying that the first time around or seemed to discount your seniority in the hood, I’m sorry. Perhaps this second effort was more successful. But there’s no reason to be a sourpuss.
21 EagleEye // Dec 31, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Phinneyman, how long have you lived in this neighborhood and where did you come from? Maybe it’s a step up from wherever you came from, but those of us who have lived here for a long time see the changes and the increase in crime. You may view “petty crime and property crime” as being insignificant, but they aren’t…they are the leading edge of a decline of a neighborhood that USED to be a safe place. I don’t see John Walker’s comments as being “sourpuss.” Rather they seem to be the very realistic comments of someone who has lived here long enough to remember when this used to be a nice safe neighborhood. Maybe you haven’t lived here long enough to know what it was like before the homeless vagrants and derelicts and Section 8 housing and prostitutes and drug dealers moved in. If you wanna be all pollyanna about how nice it is, go ahead. Personally I kind of think that being realistic about the current state of the neghborhood isn’t “gloom and doom,” because raising the awareness of what’s going on tends to make neighbors start being more willing to take a stand.
22 RidgeDweller // Dec 31, 2009 at 10:13 pm
Eagleeye, I think that Phinneyman did note that he’s unsettled by the crime (as well as a victim of a crime): “Phidgewood has it’s problems and crime is an issue. We can certainly agree on that point.”
I also don’t think that Phinneyman said that crime of any kind is insignificant. In fact, I think he said exactly the opposite: “I also think we should beware of the broken window theory. If we don’t clean up trash and graffiti here, nobody will and it will invite more crime, grafitti and trash. And punks like nothing more than a hood with lots trash, graffiti and such. I make it a habit to clean the street/gutter around my and my neighbors’ house. I find trash, cigarettes and all kinds of discarded rubbish. I’ve also had to clean up graffitti in the alley.”
So, I’m unclear about why you’re labeling PM to be a “pollyanna.” Did you actually read his post? I did and I read his message to be “hey, let’s all chip in and help make our neighborhood a better place.”
Yes, it sucks that we have to put up a mural where thriving business once stood. But, why bag on the mural? If it’s not your cup of tea, fine. But really, saying negative things about the mural isn’t the way to inspire people “start being more willing to take a stand” as you put it.
Let’s work together for change, rather than against each other. Otherwise, we’re just spinning our wheels.
23 SarahB // Jan 1, 2010 at 7:54 am
Huh? I don’t think Eagleeye said anything about the mural. Did you actually read his/her post?
Phinneyman was trashing John Walker for being a “sourpuss…doom and gloom” and I don’t see how that contributes to working together for change. I think the point is that Greenwood is a more dangerous place than it used to be a decade ago, and that ignoring that fact causes one to overlook the reasons why it is declining. Yes it’s lovely that we have a wonderful mural, I don’t think anybody is disputing that fact. But fixing the problems that are creeping into Greenwood requires looking with a very realistic eye at the causes.
I appreciate John Walker’s realistic and pragmatic comments.
24 Phinneyman // Jan 2, 2010 at 2:18 pm
You wrote: “fixing the problems that are creeping into Greenwood requires looking with a very realistic eye at the causes.”
John Walker’s contribution to an article that previews a newly erected mural was, “greenwood is the new LA, didn’t ya notice? graffiti, crime. watch your back.” Those were his words exactly.
Such a post does not provide a realistic insight into the neighborhood’s problems. The “there goes the neighborhood” mentality, including his sarcastic attack on GAIN, actually makes things worse here.
25 john walker // Jan 2, 2010 at 5:47 pm
tell ya what. i’m done posting here. no thread stays on topic and everything anyone says is twisted around until it means something entirely different than originally posted. y’all have fun.
26 Ruby // Jan 5, 2010 at 11:05 am
This mural reminds me of the kind of ‘street art’ we’re trying so hard to discourage in Phinneywood. I would have hoped for something less garish, less cartoonish.
Check out these murals located in the Licton Springs neighborhood on the walls of Wilson Pacific School located at 1330 N. 90th. Two of the murals can be seen from Wallingford and 92nd and the others are around the corner on 92nd on the back of the building. I would encourage anyone who hasn’t seen them to take a peek. I drive past them on my daily commute and never tire of seeing them.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/video/yjHOGFYqXkQ-andrew-morrisonapachehaida-artist.aspx
http://www.shaktigallery.com/andrew-morrison.html
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