A Fresh Coat - The Black Lives Matter Mural in Seattle gets a touch-up

During the 2020 Seattle protests, Converge Media was on the ground covering the events day in and day out. During that time, VividMatterCollective created a street-long Black Lives Matter Mural in Capitol Hill, using art and beauty to share the truth being fought for by so many. Earlier this summer, the collective decided it was time to do some touch-ups, bringing renewed life and attention to one of Seattle’s newest landmarks. Converge’s latest film takes a look at the repainting of the Black Lives Matter Mural in Capitol Hill with the VividMatterCollective. Takiyah “T-Dub” Ward takes viewers through the process and introduces some of the artists.

The 8-minute video covers how the mural artists, volunteers, and community came together on a rare sunny day this Spring to repaint the mural and reflect on what has changed and what still needs to change to support Black artists and activists in our region. In the film, Takiyah “TDub” Ward, painter of letters “TT” and VividMatterCollective’s co-founder, interviews artists Barry Johnson (painter of letter “E”), AFROSPK (painter of letter “R”), Brandon “BT” Thomas (painter of letter “A”), and Jessie Lipscomb, an artist and volunteer helping to repair the mural.

By Takiyah Ward

"Two years ago the lives of 16 Seattle based artists changed forever. June 11, 2020 in the midst of the CHOP/CHAZ protest, which took place in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, the Black Lives Matter street mural seen around the world was created. Those artists had no idea what would come of this work, all they knew was something needed to be done and it needed to be done now. That divine timing has led to something much greater. Since the creation of that mural these artists formed a collective, the VividMatterCollective, and have been working together in various capacities while supporting one another's individual endeavors. VividMatterCollective, or VMC, has been a part of a laundry list of private and public commissions and worked with companies of all size and modality. While the continued success has been life altering, what's more important is the bond that has been created. Much has changed over these past two years and much has stayed the same. What remains clear is the need for artistic expression. What groups like VMC hope to see realized is the support for creatives and their process as well as their product. Each year this mural gets repainted/ repaired we are reminded of the events of that year and what brought us all here in the first place. VMC would like to thank everyone who has supported this mural and our efforts thus far, we look forward to creating more space for artistic expression and experience.”

-Takiyah Ward

Co Founder - VividMatterCollective

About the artists:

Barry Johnson: “To know this has been able to stay here is really transformative and to have

the opportunity to come and paint it again feels so much more special.”

AFROSPK: “In the beginning it felt like we had to take the space and demand safety, rather

than have it taken for us and made for us before we came into the space. How it could be

different is to have more allies step in.”

Brandon “BT” Thomas: “I’ve done some murals for schools and clients before, but once I was

a part of creating this, there’s been so many projects, opportunities, it’s been incredible.”

Jessie Lipscomb: “I’ll get to go home and show my kids: ‘Look what Mommy helped do!,’ and it

will be a very normal everyday thing for them”.

Takiyah “TDub” Ward: “These artists had no idea what would come of this work. All they knew

was something needed to be done and it needed to be done now. That divine timing has led to

something much greater. Since the creation of that mural these artists formed a collective--the

VividMatterCollective--and have been working together in various capacities while supporting

one another's individual endeavors. Much has changed over these past two years and much

has stayed the same. What remains clear is the need for artistic expression. What groups like

VividMatterCollective hope to see is support for creatives and their process as well as their

product. Each year this mural gets repainted and repaired we are reminded of the events of that

year and what brought us all here in the first place.”

4Culture is a media partner of Converge’s coverage of the 2 nd Anniversary of Seattle’s Black

Lives Matter Mural and has supported VividMatterCollective through its grant funding.