BY PEPPER FISHER
Port Angeles – Port Angeles needs more murals.
That’s the message from the Port Angeles Waterfront District, which is spearheading the effort to get new murals in the downtown area in 2025. To that end, they’ve formed the new West by Northwest Mural Festival, a creative festival that will commission five new murals throughout the Waterfront District and Port Angeles.
The festival will take place from Thursday, April 24 to Sunday the 27th at The Hub, the artist’s cooperative at First and Lincoln. Over those four days, the public can drop by and visit artists as they create their murals on 4’X8’ panels. They’ll have music, kids activities, and some artist talks about mural creation and public art.
There is currently a call for artists and a call for walls open for application. The Waterfront District’s Sam Grello says the theme of this year’s mural festival is, ”Who is Port Angeles?”
“Port Angeles is so many different things to so many different people. So, that’s why we’re not asking the muralists to come to us with a fully-cooked idea, but just kind of some general ideas like, “Do you want it to be abstract? Is it a historical tableau? You know, is it quirky?” We will approve the design. Nothing political, nothing offensive. But it’s very easy to tie into the theme of Who Is Port Angeles, right? And so, really, it’s kind of your creativity and taste is the limit to what you can do.”
Grello says they already have several good muralist applications, but there’s room for more. And any strong entries that aren’t chosen this year will be kept on file for future festivals.
They’re also seeking more wall owner applications, but the deadline is looming. The first round of applications will close at the end of next week.
“We’re going to be using these applications to help continue to match the muralists and wall owners together, and also subsidize that through grants that we apply for. There’s still going to be a bit of a financial commitment from the wall owner. They’ll have to pay $500 to host it. And that 500 bucks helps us install it, and then we’re going to help the the wall owner maintain the mural for at least 5 years.”
The completed murals will be installed throughout the summer.
Find out everything you need to know at portangeleswaterfront.com.