Historic Still Life mural damaged by concert posters, Fremont rallies for restoration

A cherished piece of Fremont’s artistic heritage was damaged last month, sparking community concern and a collaborative effort to restore the historic Still Life mural at N. 35th St. and Fremont Ave. N.

The damage was discovered in November by a Fremont Neighborhood Council board member. The 1994 mural by artist Parris, which has graced the north-facing wall of the building for over three decades, was covered with promotional posters for the Burna Boy concert at Climate Pledge Arena on Nov. 16. Those posters were subsequently tagged with graffiti.

“We need to fix this!” declared SeattleStreetSignage in an Instagram post that garnered nearly 2,000 likes this week, reflecting the widespread community frustration over the incident.

“I don’t think whoever put that up realized what they were doing, or how special that mural was,” said Amber McMorrow, Fremont Arts Council President.

A marketing campaign gone wrong

The damage resulted from what has been described as an independent contractor mistake. Los Angeles-based StreetWorks, a guerrilla marketing company hired to promote the concert, posted advertisements directly onto the mural. The posters’ placement then attracted additional vandalism.

Jeff Williams, owner of StreetWorks, has acknowledged the error and expressed his commitment to fixing the issue. He is now working directly with the Fremont Chamber of Commerce and the property manager to coordinate restoration efforts.

Climate Pledge Arena’s Director of City & Community Partnerships, Morgan Littlefield, confirmed that the venue worked to identify the responsible vendor, which was also contacted by the Burna Boy tour. Climate Pledge is pushing StreetWorks to correct the mistake.

Community response and restoration plans

The incident has galvanized Fremont’s civic organizations. Leaders from the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, Fremont Arts Council, Fremont Creative District, and Fremont Neighborhood Council have joined forces to address the damage.

The path to restoration faces some bureaucratic hurdles. The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture confirmed that the mural is not part of the City’s Civic Art Collection and sits on private property, limiting municipal intervention options.

“The City is aware of the situation and shares in the frustration of the community regarding the vandalism of this iconic piece,” said Otts Bolisay, Communications Director for the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, relaying information from the Mayor’s Graffiti Program & Initiatives. “Given the mural is on private property, the City’s options for restoration are limited, however, the City is exploring what support can be offered to restore the piece with property owner agreement.”

Pete Hanning, Executive Director of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the mural’s importance while acknowledging the challenges facing the property owner, Blueprint, a Chamber member who regularly deals with tagging issues.

Primary concerns revolve around cost and ongoing maintenance, particularly given the location’s vulnerability to tagging.

A piece of Fremont history

According to Fremocentrist.com, the Still Life mural was created in 1994, likely commissioned by the original owners of the Still Life In Fremont coffee house, a legendary neighborhood hangout that closed in September 2002. The artwork captured the character and spirit of the café, featuring the establishment’s distinctive aesthetic.

Despite the coffee house’s transformation into 35th Street Bistro and subsequent ownership changes, the mural endured as a connection to Fremont’s artistic past. The mural’s survival for over 30 years speaks to both its artistic merit and its significance to the community, making its recent damage all the more distressing to longtime residents.

Clearing up confusion

In the aftermath of the incident, there was initial confusion about which company was responsible. PosterGIANT, another Seattle-based street marketing company, publicly clarified that neither they nor their affiliates were involved.

“We are strong supporters of street art and artists and would never cover an existing mural with any of our campaigns,” said Doug Cox, Chief Operating Officer of posterGIANT. “We have the utmost respect for our communities and the spaces that we all share and enjoy that make Seattle and all cities a vibrant place to live, work, and enjoy our communities.”

Looking forward

For some community members, the need to restore the mural is deeply personal. McMorrow and Hanning are both lifelong Seattle residents who remember visiting the Still Life Cafe.

“I grew up here. I’ve lived here my whole life, and so I used to go to the Still Life Cafe growing up, and so it’s really personal and special to me,” McMorrow said. She’s committed to helping organize the renovation and believes action is needed quickly to remove the posters before further deterioration occurs.

The incident has sparked conversations about broader protections for public art. McMorrow noted that discussions are underway about establishing a task force for mural renovation through the Fremont Creative District, which could help prevent similar incidents in the future.

“I want to focus on that, too, like protecting the public art,” she said, emphasizing the importance of preserving the artistic character that makes Fremont special.

Access to the mural is currently obstructed by Route 40 construction, but once the area improvements are complete and restoration work begins, the community hopes to celebrate not just the mural’s return, but also Fremont’s commitment to preserving its artistic identity.

Disclosure: The author is Vice President of the Fremont Neighborhood Council.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct the departmental affiliation of the Graffiti Program & Initiatives.