SEATTLE — The city of Seattle began work Tuesday to restore a deteriorating Black Lives Matter mural on the streets of Capitol Hill.
The mural, which is located on Pine Street between 10th and 11th avenues, was created by 15 artists during the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) in June. However, parts of the mural are now peeling from the roadway.
The Seattle Office of Arts and Culture (ARTS) said in a statement that the mural restoration acknowledges that area’s cultural significance in the Black Lives Matter movement.
The city plans to work with the artists to remove the current mural, properly prepare the site and then recreate the artwork so it will last.
The artwork deteriorated because the paint was applied to an unscored surface that was covered in slippery aggregate, according to ARTS. It only got worse when a group unrelated to the artists applied a sealant.
Crews began tracing and scoring the existing mural Tuesday. Weather permitting, the artists are expected to repaint the mural Saturday and Sunday.
The city will provide supplies to the artists and offer installation support.
In July, the Seattle Department of Transportation installed posts to prevent cars from driving over the artwork and added a four-way stop at 10th Avenue East and East Pine Street to slow traffic near the mural. Both these traffic measure will remain in place, according to ARTS.