Murals of racial minority faces slashed at Federal Way construction site
Vandals slashed about 200 feet of murals in Federal Way depicting people of color in what appears to be a racially motivated attack, authorities say.
The public art project at the Federal Way Link light rail station construction site at 320th Street and 23rd Street was only three days old when it was vandalized Aug. 20, Sound Transit said.
The murals were attached to the outside of construction fencing.
Tacoma artist Jasmine Iona Brown had her work slashed. One of her murals depicted her teenage son.
“It’s really disheartening,” Brown said. “It feels like a gut punch.”
She visited the site Tuesday and almost brought her son with her but changed her mind.
“I didn’t want him to see his face all cut up,” she said.
Brown said she enjoys making public art but vandalism is an unfortunate downside of it. She’s had other public art vandalized during her career. She is currently working on a bronze sculpture of Billy Ray Shirley for the Eastside Community Center in Tacoma.
Seven artists were commissioned by Sound Transit to make the murals. They each had a budget of $7,000 to $10,000, said Barbara Luecke, the manager of Sound Transit’s art program. All of the artists were people of color, she said, and worked with community groups to make the art.
The vandal or vandals seemed intent on cutting faces.
“They seemed to go straight for the faces in a disturbing way,” Luecke said.
The work, some printed on vinyl and others painted on canvas, will be repaired, Luecke said.
Suspects in the attack are being sought and preventative measures will be put in place to thwart future attacks, Sound Transit said.
This story was originally published September 1, 2020 at 3:37 PM.
