On Feb. 5, our Public Art Program Manager, Jason Huff, and Director Gülgün Kayim joined Mayor Bruce Harrell, Fire Chief Harold Scoggins, Acting Director Kiersten Grove of Finance and Administrative Services, and City and community leaders for a groundbreaking on the future site of Fire Station 31.
Mayor Harrell said that Fire Station 31 will help in “strengthening our public safety network and helping us achieve our One Seattle vision of safe, thriving neighborhoods.”
Public Art Boot Camper: Damon Brown
Slated for completion in 2025, the North Seattle fire station will include a new permanent public art installation by local artist Damon Brown. The artwork will be integrated into the façade of the new Fire Station 31, fabricated in 2024, and installed spring 2025.
This public art piece will tell the stories of the community’s past and present residents. While drawing on the perspectives of the firefighters of Station 31 and the myriad ways they serve the community.
Damon Brown
Damon Brown is a SeattIe-based artist who, from an early age, knew he loved art and creating new designs. He drew inspiration from comic books as he spent countless hours exploring different images and heroic storylines. He began to study various art movements, illustration styles, and urban art, and learned how things like color, shape, story, and texture can manifest into something vivid for people to feel and see. He was then able to blend his love for classical art and illustration.
Damon was part of our 2020-2021 Public Art Boot Camp, which provides public art training and experience to artists interested in moving into the field. His temporary public art installation Here Before Me was a part of Art Interruptions 2021 in Lake City.
The public art commission for Fire Station 31 was selected from ARTS’ Public Art Artist Roster, which is currently open for applications.