By Katie Melton
Last summer, Maple Leaf artist Rachel Marcotte designed and helped coordinate the painting of a giant turtle in a Wallingford intersection, pictured above. Now she’s started the process of organizing such a project for our own neighborhood.
But don’t hold your breath that it’s going to be a fast and easy process. Already her initial location, at the intersection of Northeast 102nd Street and 12th Avenue Northeast, has been turned down by the Seattle Department of Transportation because of its traffic circle, even though Marcotte included it as part of her design (see her sketch below).
Now she hopes to move the project to the intersection of Northeast 96th Street and 12th Avenue Northeast, but because it doesn’t have a roundabout and also is larger than her original location, she is back to the drawing board for a new design. In addition, she’ll also need the approval of at least 60 percent of nearby neighbors, including the Maple Leaf Evangelical Church at 1059 Northeast 96th Street.
“What I’d love is if someone were excited enough about the idea of a spectacular neighborhood painting, and an inspiring community-building experience, to help me do the groundwork,” Marcotte said. “So far I haven’t found anyone.”
Now back to negotiating with SDOT about the location, she will let us know the verdict so she can begin circulating petitions and holding meetings about the project. Completing a public art mural takes quite a bit of work and time, Marcotte says. But it’s also a great way to bring neighbors together to create a piece of art to be proud of.
Katie Melton is the intern for Maple Leaf Life. She is a journalism student at the University of Washington.
Thanks folks for your support.
I sort of decided that, because I don’t actually live on 96th (I live on 102nd) I might be seen as an outsider trying to come in and paint things on other people’s intersections. I would love to design something for this intersection, but would need people who actually live there to start the process… Let me know if you want to do this, 96th St people.
Eric, the paint is non-toxic. SDOT mandates the exact paint we can use, it’s called “DriveLine,” and you can get exact ingredients I’m sure if you wish. The neighbors at 41st & Interlake and the neighbors at 49th & Burke had similar concerns about toxicity in their intersection paintings. The paint dries within minutes so there is no runoff.
Also, we mix lots of grit into the paint to ensure good traction.
This is such a great Idea and a great way to involve the community and local artist I support it 100%!!!
I would love to see this happen, as well as become part of the painting process. Sign me up! Keep us posted on this please, as I can rally support from neighbors w/petitions etc when the time comes..
I’d love to see this happen.
another Eric, do you really imagine that whatever flecks of paint or residual solvent escape from the paint would be quantitatively distinguishable from the measurement error of what already runs off of every piece of pavement consequent to the use of VOC/petrochemical consuming and leaking vehicles in the first place?
As for traction, as a cyclist and motorcyclist, I do wonder about that myself, but, then again, if I spot a painted area in the road ahead, I’m not going to be trying to apex the corner (traffic circle?) at maximum lean angle either.
I appreciate the artistic aspect of this project but it raises some questions;
What kind of paint will be used? I assume it’s lacking VOC’s but it’s still going to end up going down the grates.
Will the paint affect traction in the intersection? I’m thinking about motorcycles here. As a rider, I know how slippery painted surfaces are in wet conditions. I’d hate for this project to be a road hazard.
I live on 96th and think this is an amazing opportunity for our community! Please let me know how I can help-I can help rally my neighbors and help with support anyway I can.
Oh! I love it! As a fellow artist and Maple Leaf neighbor, I’d support that! Please keep us posted as to what we can do to help!