SEATTLE — For almost 20 years, iconic pin-up girl Bettie Page has greeted drivers along I-5 North near the NE 65th Street exit. The towering mural is now known throughout Seattle and beyond. In 2016, world-renowned drag queen Divine, joined Page on the west-facing side of Chris Brugos and Jessica Baxter's home. It's their homage to highlighting empowering and impactful feminist icons.
Over the years, the couple has had to deal with their fair share of vandalism, but the most recent incident is the most extreme. Over the Memorial Day Weekend, two people using a paint sprayer doused the mural and home in red, blotchy, splashes of paint.
Four people in total were there for the four-minute deed done under the cover of night. It's going to be expensive to fix.
"I think between $10-20,000. There's a lot of damage and work that needs to be done," Brugos said.
Despite the anticipated costly repairs, the murals aren't going anywhere.
"We put on some of the anti-graffiti coverage on the house, so we're going to be able to save the murals," he said.
While they're making plans to remove the paint, having to deal with the eyesore is added insult to injury. The red paint contrasts sharply with the yellow door.
"That's going to suck to come home to for a while. It's really disappointing," Baxter said.
Knowing a group of people deliberately spray-painted almost every surface of her home is unnerving, but they're getting through this with a lot of support
"We really feel held by our community in a way that makes this a lot less scary," she said.
An online fundraiser has started to help Baxter and Brugos with the costs of the repairs. Any donations beyond their goal will go to the LGBTQ youth organization at Lambert House.
"At this point, now, I see the silver lining in it because when it happens, we get this outpouring of support from friends and neighbors," Brugos said.
He doesn't want to think too much about what motivated these people but he has his suspicions.
"I think the feminist icons that we have on our house make some people mad. I think that's motivation," he said.
There's no timeline for the restoration and repair process.
Murals on University District home vandalized
