Artists to Paint Friday Harbor Mural of Local Flora and Fauna in August

Posted July 29, 2021 at 5:30 am by

From town of Friday Harbor

The Town of Friday Harbor invites the public to view the installation of a mural along Blair Avenue the first week of August. The mural will be created on the long wall behind Earthbox Inn and Spa.

The proposed concept by Poulsbo artists Josh Bennett and Cory Anderson is a tribute to the smaller flora and fauna of our San Juan Island ecosystem. Through a fusion of abstract art, fine drawing and street-inspired techniques, the artists will create motifs and silhouettes in what they describe as a unique, enduring, and joyful piece. 

Their proposal, “A Living Island,” was selected by the Friday Harbor Arts Commission and approved by the town council at their May 6 meeting. 

The mural selection process included a review by an Art Selection Panel of commissioners, artists, and neighbors of the proposed mural site. Panel members reviewed 11 proposals submitted by artists from San Juan County, the Puget Sound and Colorado.  The final selection of Bennett and Fisher was discussed publicly at FHAC and Town Council meetings earlier this year. 

The ASP and FHAC expressed appreciation for the experience and skill of all of the artists and for the degree of research and careful thought that went into each of their concepts.

“Public input was critical to our art selection process,” said Arts Commissioner Lynn Weber/Roochvarg, adding, “The commission wants the selection and installation of our projects to be an exciting and memorable process for the community.”  

This is the second major mural project commissioned by the FHAC which was formed in 2015 to advise the town council on the cultivation, selection, acquisition and placement of public art.  The mural “Witness the Beauty,” installed in Sunken Park in 2016, is scheduled to be retouched by the original artist Jake Wagoner later this month.

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Categories: Arts

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