Two murals in our neighborhood have a long history of being covered with graffiti or even accidentally painted over by city crews. State Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson’s legislative assistant, Kari Boiter, is organizing the effort to refurbish the murals on NW 63rd Street (the Aurora Avenue underpass between Green Lake and Phinney Ridge) and the NW 57th Street underpass near Woodland Park Zoo.

Graffiti on the NW 63rd Street underpass earlier this year.

Graffiti on the NW 63rd Street underpass mural two years ago.

Boiter is hosting an informational meeting at 7 p.m. on Sept. 27 at the Phinney Neighborhood Center for anyone interested in helping out.

A group of local muralists has painted their second mural along Aurora Avenue North, trying to bring new life and a little more color to Highway 99.

Zach Bohnenkamp, John Osgood and Kevin Sullivan from Bherd Studios and Matamuros painted the mural at 10217 Aurora Ave. N., on the side of North Park Grocery.

The 10 x 50 foot mural represents growth through sunflowers, businesses and a future RapidRide bus. Safe travel behavior is modeled by a woman on a scooter wearing a helmet waiting for a people to cross the street and the Aurora Traffic Safety Project logo in the upper right hand corner. If one looks closely they will also find familiar landmarks such as the recently restored elephant at Aurora Rents. Behind it all is the sun rising, capturing the spirit of Aurora which means “dawn.”

“My customers come in all shapes and sizes and many are working hard to improve their lives,” said Chaesun Osaka, the owner of North Park Grocery, in a press release. “This mural represents how Aurora and the people who live and work here are growing and changing.”

The public is invited to celebrate the mural at 10 a.m. Saturday. Meet the artists and fellow neighbors, learn more about the Aurora Traffic Safety Project, and enjoy free coffee and snacks.

Sara sent us a note about a new mural by artist Ryan Henry Ward that replaced one of his old murals, and he did it under cover of darkness.

“Henry” painted a middle-of-the-night mural (three enormous walruses riding three tiny bicycles) last night on the west side of 8th NW, between 65th and 67th. It was formerly a different Henry mural (one with lots of eyeballs) that had been painted-over black about a week ago. Then last night, I saw him out there with spotlights, and this morning the new mural is done.