BY PEPPER FISHER
Port Angeles – It’s becoming the summer of new murals and public art in Port Angeles – some by design and some by surprise.
On Tuesday, famous Seattle muralist Ryan Ward, branded as “Henry”, came through Port Angeles painting Sasquatch heads in his signature style as part of his 1000 Sasquatch Head Mural Project. He painted two murals in Port Angeles, one in Sequim and one in Port Townsend.
One of those murals in Port Angeles is on the home of Sam and Jess Grello, who live in the old TAFY church by Jessie Webster Park. We asked Sam how Henry came to choose his house for a custom mural.
“You know, a little bit of lucky, and then just a little bit of universal Kismet, cosmic positive energy .”
Sam Grello, as the Director of the Port Angeles Waterfront District, had already been spearheading this spring’s West by Northwest Mural Festival, which commissioned five new murals throughout the downtown district. Grello says that in his hunt for artists, he reached out to Henry to see if he was interested in participating.
“He never responded to me, and so I thought that was a soft “No” from him. And then I got a text message from him on Tuesday night that he was at my office, ready to paint a Sasquatch. So I gave him a call and I was like, “Hey, I’m a little confused. What’s this about?” He’s like, “Well didn’t you sign up for a mural?” And I was like, “I thought I was signing up to ask a question.” And so, he’s like, “Well, do you not want a Sasquatch mural?” I’m like, “No, no, I do, but I rent an office, so I don’t have permission to get a Sasquatch mural on this building. Why don’t you just come to my house?”
The fact that the Grellos now have a Sasquatch mural on their house is doubly fitting when you add the fact that Jess Grello produces the Squatchcon festival in Port Angeles, which happened in April.
As for the progress of the West by Northwest Mural Festival, Sam says the first of 5 murals, created by Todd Fischer, has been installed on the surf shop on S. Lincoln Street. Keep your eye open for the other 4 murals, created by other artists, coming this summer to a wall near you.
(Grello photo of Ryan “Henry” Ward signing his work)