In the early hours of March 9, an explosion rocked Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood.
A row of businesses on Greenwood Avenue were leveled; windows were blown out at businesses and apartments throughout the area. No one was killed.
Hey! If you painted one of the murals below but aren't credited, email me: iraftery@kuow.org.
Plywood covered those broken windows and within days. Artists Andrew Miller and Jonathan Wakuda discussed offering those businesses street art installations to brighten the devastated community. Wakuda's murals can be found across the country — in Seattle, he's known for the KEXP mural. Miller's murals are all over the city as well.
Miller and Wakuda met with Joey DeYoung, executive director of Urban Hands, a local nonprofit. Within a week, they provided paint and supplies to artists who wanted to help.
"The Greenwood community is a special place to live and work; a community that supports my artistic career and others in a similar place," Miller said by email.
Three weeks later, most of those plywood window art installations remain.
The murals reflect the businesses's spirit. At Squirrels Buy-Sell Antiques on North 85th Street, owner Earl Adams said the artist, Graham Herman, told later him that he was told to draw squirrels.
Squirrels Buy-Sell has spent 20 years at that location and is moving at the end of the month to a commercial warehouse. Adams said his rent is doubling so he's moving out. Other businesses that had their windows blown out are also moving.
[asset-images[{"caption": "This mural by Wakuda Studio is northwest of the intersection of North 85th Street and Greenwood Avenue North. Wakuda Studio is known for it's \"Japanese street art,\" including the KEXP mural.", "fid": "125329", "style": "placed_full", "uri": "public://201604/greenwoodmural1__12_of_17_.jpg", "attribution": "Credit KUOW Photo/Isolde Raftery"}]][asset-images[{"caption": "The mural at Hummus Cafe, at North 85th Street and Greenwood Avenue North. Across the street, a similar restaurant, Mr. Gyros, was demolished by the blast. This mural was painted by Andrew Miller.", "fid": "125330", "style": "placed_full", "uri": "public://201604/greenwoodmural1__4_of_17_.jpg", "attribution": "Credit KUOW Photo/Isolde Raftery"}]][asset-images[{"caption": "\"Pablo, the burrito unicorn,\" by Starhead Boy, or Dave Bloombfield, a street artist, on plywood outside Chaco Canyon, a mostly vegan cafe on Greenwood Avenue North. Chaco Canyon came to the neighborhood in 2014. (People were lining up for a fabric sale at ReCreative next door, where fabric was going for $1/yard.) ", "fid": "125331", "style": "placed_full", "uri": "public://201604/greenwoodmural1__15_of_17_.jpg", "attribution": "Credit KUOW Photo/Isolde Raftery"}]]Thesecharacters are by Starheadboy.
[asset-images[{"caption": "The mural outside Rosewood Guitar on Greenwood Avenue North and North 84th Street. This was painted by Jessica Ghyvoronsky", "fid": "125332", "style": "placed_full", "uri": "public://201604/greenwoodmural1__16_of_17_.jpg", "attribution": "Credit KUOW Photo/Isolde Raftery"}]][asset-images[{"caption": "The mural by Zak Rivera outside Greenwood Family Dental Clinic on Greenwood Avenue North.", "fid": "125333", "style": "placed_full", "uri": "public://201604/greenwoodmural1__11_of_17_.jpg", "attribution": "Credit KUOW Photo/Isolde Raftery"}]][asset-images[{"caption": "The gas leak explosion site three weeks later, between North 84th and North 85th streets on Greenwood Avenue North. No one was killed.", "fid": "125334", "style": "placed_wide", "uri": "public://201604/greenwoodmural1__6_of_17_.jpg", "attribution": "Credit KUOW Photo/Isolde Raftery"}]][asset-images[{"caption": "A quasi mural outside Gorditos, a Mexican restaurant known for its baby-sized burritos.", "fid": "125335", "style": "placed_full", "uri": "public://201604/greenwoodmural1__7_of_17_.jpg", "attribution": "Credit KUOW Photo/Isolde Raftery"}]][asset-images[{"caption": "One of the murals at Consolidated Carpet on North 85th Street.", "fid": "125336", "style": "placed_wide", "uri": "public://201604/greenwoodmural1__10_of_17_.jpg", "attribution": "Credit KUOW Photo/Isolde Raftery"}]][asset-images[{"caption": "Another mural by an artist who goes by Blink outside Consolidated Carpet on the north side of North 85th Street in Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood.", "fid": "125337", "style": "placed_wide", "uri": "public://201604/greenwoodmural1__9_of_17_.jpg", "attribution": "Credit KUOW Photo/Isolde Raftery"}]][asset-images[{"caption": "A mural by Melissa Crosetto painted on the plywood of G&O Family Cyclery, which was destroyed in the gas leak explosion. G&O is moving temporarily a block north to 8554 1/2 Greenwood Ave North, according to their website. Crosetto is an artist in residence at KoLab Gallery at The Greenwood Collective at the Urban Lights Studios.", "fid": "125338", "style": "placed_full", "uri": "public://201604/greenwoodmural1__5_of_17_.jpg", "attribution": "Credit KUOW Photo/Isolde Raftery"}]][asset-images[{"caption": "A plywood painting by Ahmed Davis on North 85th Street. ", "fid": "125339", "style": "placed_full", "uri": "public://201604/greenwoodmural1__8_of_17_.jpg", "attribution": "Credit KUOW Photo/Isolde Raftery"}]][asset-images[{"caption": "A night view of Squirrels Buy-Sell Antique shop on North 85th Street. Owner Earl Adams said he is moving his business at the end of the month in response to rising rent. The murals have been taken down as glass panes have gone back in. Graham Herman painted this mural.", "fid": "125340", "style": "placed_wide", "uri": "public://201604/greenwoodmural__1_of_1_.jpg", "attribution": "Credit Courtesy of Earl Adams"}]][asset-images[{"caption": "A rocket painted outside the Greater Seattle Bureau of Fearless Ideas on Greenwood Avenue North.", "fid": "125341", "style": "placed_wide", "uri": "public://201604/greenwoodmural1__2_of_17_.jpg", "attribution": "Credit KUOW Photo/Isolde Raftery"}]][asset-images[{"caption": "Another mural by Xavier Lopez outside the Greater Seattle Bureau of Fearless Ideas in Greenwood.", "fid": "125342", "style": "placed_wide", "uri": "public://201604/greenwoodmural1__3_of_17_.jpg", "attribution": "Credit KUOW Photo/Isolde Raftery"}]]See more of Xavier Lopez's art on his Facebook page.
[asset-images[{"caption": "A mural outside the Angry Beaver bar on Greenwood Avenue North. This mural was painted by muralist Andrew Miller. ", "fid": "125343", "style": "placed_full", "uri": "public://201604/greenwoodmural1__1_of_17_.jpg", "attribution": "Credit KUOW Photo/Isolde Raftery"}]][asset-images[{"caption": "The mural outside Couth Buzzard, a used bookstore on Greenwood Avenue North. This mural is by Seattle artist Faye Fontaine.", "fid": "125344", "style": "placed_full", "uri": "public://201604/greenwoodmural1__17_of_17_.jpg", "attribution": "Credit KUOW Photo/Isolde Raftery"}]][asset-images[{"caption": "Greenwood mural by Ahmed Davis.", "fid": "125345", "style": "placed_full", "uri": "public://201604/greenwoodmural1__13_of_17_.jpg", "attribution": "Credit KUOW Photo/Isolde Raftery"}]]
