The former Chase Bank building at 3400 Fremont Ave N has been sitting empty for four years. This month, that’s about to change, at least for the windows.
The Fremont Creative District, with support from an Adobe grant, is looking for seven artists to paint window murals on the vacant storefront by June 18, just in time for the Fremont Solstice and World Cup.
The timeline is tight: applications close June 12, artists are notified June 14, concept sketches are due June 16, and installation is June 18. Artists must supply their own materials and are also required to carry their own insurance. Each selected artist receives a $1,000 stipend.
The project will fill seven window bays of varying sizes along the building’s facade. Themes are open to interpretation but centered on community, movement, joy, summer, and Fremont’s quirky spirit. The murals are tentatively planned to stay up through the end of summer (or maybe longer?).
To apply, go to bit.ly/4etewg6 or find the submission form through @fremont.creative.district on Instagram.
Making this project possible is the building’s owner, McKenzie Building LLC, a real estate holding company managed by Mark Torrance. A native of Seattle, Torrance attended the University of Washington before founding Yesco Foreground Music (it later merged with Muzak LLP – check out this fascinating article from HistoryLink). He went on to found PhotoDisc, and it eventually combined with Getty Communications Ltd. to form Getty Images. He also established the Mark Torrance Foundation, which since 2003 has invested in Pacific Northwest nonprofits. MTF has supported local infrastructure, like the SDOT bike counter on the Fremont Bridge. Torrance’s Toba Group family office that oversees family holdings in real estate, is based in Fremont.
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