A Pop of Color at Fishermen’s Terminal

When Seattle-based muralist and pop-up artist Patrick Nguyen, also known as Dozfy, dreamed up the initial design for the new mural at Fishermen’s Terminal, he wanted to create something that connected communities and honored the old industry in Washington — the maritime industry. He sketched out an iconic image designed to appeal to two different audiences — the commercial fishers who are on the water six months a year and the younger residents of the Ballard neighborhood.

His mural, displayed on the back of Net Shed 8, reflects the small-town feel of the surrounding neighborhood and uses images of nature, boats, sea life, and landscape to bring the story of Fishermen’s Terminal to life. It is the Port of Seattle’s first painted mural in its growing public art collection, as well as the most recent addition to the Port’s Maritime art collection. Many recent art projects have been installed in new building projects at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

The mural complements the work of the Fishermen’s Terminal Redevelopment Project which is breathing new life into the facility.

“It adds some pop,” said Annabelle Goavec, Port Public Art Program Coordinator. “The buildings have a great history. This gives them a contemporary touch and makes them more welcoming.”

Honoring sustainable fishing

To kick off the mural process, the Port published a call for artists, encouraging local and BIPOC artists to apply. The artwork needed to focus on fishing in the Pacific Northwest and explore ideas related to the history, culture, and heritage of sustainable fishing.

“We were looking for something that honors the maritime industry and creates a community landmark,” Goavec said.

The primarily black and white color palette with bright accent colors is a common thread in Nguyen’s work. The crane, boat, and salmon featured in the mural are visual representations of Fishermen’s Terminal’s environmental initiatives — The Clean Marina Washington program, the Green Marine Program, and Salmon-Safe Certification.

An unconventional approach

Nguyen, who is also known for his menu art and murals around the city meant to beautify and deter vandalism, said his approach to mural painting is unconventional. Rather than sketch out and scale up, a common practice with muralists, his approach is more instinctual. His initial sketching process is quick and allows him to be more flexible when he’s onsite. The process was also quick once he was on site — the mural went up in just three days.

“I’m all about getting to the site, understanding the location and surroundings, and the piece Itself. Then I look at how I create something with it and where it takes me. I try to capture the feeling in the moment,” he said.

While Nguyen was onsite painting, he drew immediate attention from passersby. Bikers and pedestrians stopped to check it out. Cars honked their horns with excitement for Fishermen’s Terminal’s newest view.

“Even before you could tell what was going up, people were like, ‘This is so cool,”’ Goavec said. “This project was a long time coming. It warms my heart to see the community really excited and telling us ‘Thank you so much for doing this.’”

Goavec said she looks forward to growing the maritime side of the Port’s public art program. The Fishermen’s Terminal mural is helping to grow momentum for more projects at Fishermen’s Terminal and other Port maritime properties.

“This project went so well we’re hoping to do an annual mural at Fishermen’s Terminal,” Goavec said. “It is important to work with local, emerging artists, and give them a chance to work with us.”

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