You're Invited to Celebrate the Newest Mural on Aurora: Sat, Oct 16th at 10am

New Mural Supports Aurora Businesses and Relays a Safety Message

(SEATTLE) A new mural at 10217 Aurora Avenue N has come to life on the side of North Park Grocery. Community members and businesses along with the city and state envision Aurora as a street full of thriving businesses and shoppers – one with a vibrant, safe business center that attracts local residents to walk and bike to stores and restaurants for their weekly shopping and entertainment. To encourage this, artwork is being added along the corridor.

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. “This mural represents how Aurora and the people who live and work here are growing and changing.”
The public is invited to come, meet the artists and fellow neighbors, learn more about the Aurora Traffic Safety Project and enjoy free coffee and light snacks.

When: Saturday, October 16
Where: 10217 Aurora Street at North Park Grocery
Time: 10 a.m.

This is the second of two murals. The first mural was a temporary installation in the windows of an empty storefront. Within three weeks of the installation being placed, the property was rented. A new location for the mural is now being sought. Zach Bohnenkamp, John Osgood and Kevin Sullivan from Bherd Studios and Matamuros were commissioned for both jobs.

Sustainable Green Lake, Greenwood Aurora Involved Neighbors (GAIN), Epic Life Church, the city of Seattle and Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WSTC) made this mural possible through grants and volunteer hours. This project is funded in part by a Neighborhood Matching Fund award of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and through the Washington Traffic Safety Commission and Aurora Traffic Safety Project. The project was created to help Aurora gain a competitive edge in tough economic times by making improvements along Aurora Avenue; to attract attention to the business district; to improve public perceptions of Aurora; to encourage consumers to come to Aurora for their shopping needs; and to improve the sustainability and safety of the neighborhood by contributing to the walkability and bikability of the neighborhood business district.

"Awake to a New Aurora" Mural Unveiled on Tuesday

The mural unveiling was on Tuesday, March 23rd and if you missed it, don't worry, it is installed in the windows of a space (7615 Aurora Avenue) located next to DaVinci Pizza on Aurora and you can drive/walk by and check it out.




If you're not familiar with the project, here is a little background:

Sustainable Green Lake, Greenwood Aurora Involved Neighbors (GAIN) and the City of Seattle envision Aurora as a street full of thriving businesses and shoppers – one with a vibrant business center that attracts local residents to walk and bike to stores and restaurants for their weekly shopping and entertainment. To encourage this, a temporary installation of artwork is being placed in the windows of an empty storefront. Sustainable Green Lake received funding to do this mural from a grant through the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. GAIN provided some additional funding. The project is modeled after a similar and successful one done in the Columbia City neighborhood in the 1990s.



Pictured above from left to right: Artists Kevin Sullivan & John Osgood and Dawn Schellenberg, City of Seattle
(Not pictured, Artist Zach Bohnenkamp)

The artists commissioned for the project were Zach Bohnenkamp, John Osgood and Kevin Sullivan from Seattle Mural art, a local muralist team whose most recent work was installed next to Taproot Theatre after the arsons. Seattle Mural Art is an affiliate of Bherd Studios, an urban contemporary art gallery that features PNW artists and is located in Greenwood.





After the unveiling, friends and neighbors stayed around for pizza, refreshments and to take some photos of the new mural.




A second location on Aurora is currently being sought for Part II of this project.


Sustainable Green Lake is a group of like-minded individuals living in and around Seattle's Green Lake neighborhood who all share the common desire to constantly live more sustainably.

Greenwood Aurora Involved Neighbors (GAIN) is a group of neighbors working to enhance community and decrease crime in the Aurora corridor.