With a canvas 19 feet tall and 42 feet wide, Stan Selden’s dream is about to come true.
As vice president of the Tacoma Waterfront Association, Selden has long sought a proper and highly visible welcome to mariners entering the Thea Foss Waterway from Commencement Bay.
And so it will be, as the design is complete and the beginnings of the project have been newly applied to the north side of Tank No. 15 at NuStar Energy’s operation at the northeastern head of the waterway.
The greeting, designed by Tacoma artist Chris Sharp, will include the word “Welcome” written in script above a compass motif, which radiates above the name “Foss Waterway.”
“Visiting boaters wonder where the Foss Waterway is,” Selden said on Saturday.
Now they’ll know.
The concept for the greeting is part of a larger mural project proposed to include an adjacent Port of Tacoma warehouse and a connecting bulkhead, Selden said.
The project is being installed by painting contractor Duncan and Bush, and was funded by NuStar and the City of Tacoma’s Neighborhood Council.
“We’re excited. It’s a good start to the grand plan,” Selden said. “There’s a lot of tanks down there. We hope this expands to the adjacent facilities.”
c.r.roberts@thenewstribune.com 253-597-8535
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