Art Seen: Seattle artists make plywood their canvas

Muralists reflect on the role of public art during pandemic isolation and social protests.

Aileen Imperial

Aileen Imperial Jun 6, 2025

Jul 9, 2020

Republish Article

You can republish articles in print or online. Simply copy the HTML below, which includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline, and credit to Cascade PBS. Republishing of the photos or videos embedded in an article can occur only if the photo or video is a copyright of Cascade Public Media ("CPM") and not of a third party. Photos and videos that are a copyright of CPM are not required to appear in the republished article, but if they are used, they must be embedded where they appear in the original article and must include the attribution to the CPM photographer.

You may reprint in any medium
You may edit only for tense and timeliness
If republishing in print you can edit for length if you follow our print republishing guidelines.
You may write your own headline
Include a byline and shirttail with credit and link to Cascade PBS
Include our tracking pixel
Remove if we ask

          <article>
            <header>
              <hgroup>
                <h1>Art Seen: Seattle artists make plywood their canvas</h1>
                <h2><p>Muralists reflect on the role of public art during pandemic isolation and social protests.</p></h2>
              </hgroup>
               <p>By <a href="/author/dflkjd-gmail-com/">Aileen Imperial</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Jul 9, 2020</time></p>
            </header>
            <p>At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Seattle artists began painting murals on boarded-up windows of businesses to deter vandalism and beautify the neighborhoods. And as social isolation evolved into a social movement protesting racial injustice and the killing of Black people by police, artists continued to take the streets with spray cans and paintbrushes. In this video, a few of the many artists who have painted messages of heartbreak and hope reflect on the role of art amid social upheaval.</p>
          </article>

At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Seattle artists began painting murals on boarded-up windows of businesses to deter vandalism and beautify the neighborhoods. And as social isolation evolved into a social movement protesting racial injustice and the killing of Black people by police, artists continued to take the streets with spray cans and paintbrushes. In this video, a few of the many artists who have painted messages of heartbreak and hope reflect on the role of art amid social upheaval.

Our members' donations make local journalism happen.

Support once for $1

Support monthly for $7

Cascade PBS Passport
Mossback members-only newsletter
Print Viewer Guide (opt-in)

Support monthly for $25

Invitation to quarterly news and original programming video conference
Annual in-person meet-up with news & programming teams
Special event perks (reduced price or free tickets, cocktails, etc.)

Continue

By Aileen Imperial

Aileen Imperial is a multimedia and documentary producer with a commitment to thoughtful observation and engagement.&nbsp;Her work has aired nationally on the PBS American Masters series, the PBS