The art of Seattle in 2020

Capitol Hill mural

Art is a product, and a remembrance, of a moment in time. It’s inherently archival. During the 2020 BLM protests in Seattle, art was everywhere. Some of it was painted over to make way for new art. Some of it, like the barricade art from CHAZ/CHOP, was seized, destroyed, or removed by third parties. Only a small portion has been preserved.

Erasure of a movement’s art is erasure of the movement.

This post is dedicated to the art that decorated Capitol Hill in June 2020. I photographed COVID art, BLM art, murals, stickers, barricades, and the making of the Black Lives Matter mural on Pine Street.

Murals

Barricade Art

Barricades were central to the SPD’s efforts to block protesters from marching on Pine Street. Once they left the East Precinct, the barricades were repurposed as art installations.

The BLM Mural

These were taken on June 11 as artists painted the 250’ x 20’ Black Lives Matter mural on Pine St between 10th and 11th Ave. Overhead shot of the mural

Other

Spotted in Capitol Hill…