This mural was painted based on a variety of ideas and public input collected by Avenue West Gallery. It stands 20 feet tall and 13 feet wide and can be seen at the corner of Boone and Monroe Street in Spokane. I painted it in the early mornings during June and July, before the sun crested the wall and the heat made painting impossible.
The project was funded by SAGA, and originally, the design included Spokane landmarks — the Pavilion, the bridge — to represent what kayakers call the “Church Run,” a dream route through the city. But the funders ultimately voted to keep the image less tied to specific Spokane iconography. What remains is a single kayaker, charging through whitewater. The rock in the foreground is based on the same boulder found under the Riverfront Park bridge — also featured in my painting Riverfront Park.
Oddly enough, the mural was later used as part of a memorial dedication, though I hadn’t known the person being honored. That’s public work for you — once it’s on the wall, it becomes what people need it to be.
Kayaker Mural – Avenue West Gallery
This mural was painted based on a variety of ideas and public input collected by Avenue West Gallery. It stands 20 feet tall and 13 feet wide and can be seen at the corner of Boone and Monroe Street in Spokane. I painted it in the early mornings during June and July, before the sun crested the wall and the heat made painting impossible.
The project was funded by SAGA, and originally, the design included Spokane landmarks — the Pavilion, the bridge — to represent what kayakers call the “Church Run,” a dream route through the city. But the funders ultimately voted to keep the image less tied to specific Spokane iconography. What remains is a single kayaker, charging through whitewater. The rock in the foreground is based on the same boulder found under the Riverfront Park bridge — also featured in my painting Riverfront Park.
Oddly enough, the mural was later used as part of a memorial dedication, though I hadn’t known the person being honored. That’s public work for you — once it’s on the wall, it becomes what people need it to be.