High quality graffiti is probably the last thing that comes to mind when you think of Onalaska, but that changed Saturday.
Some of the most respected street artists from the Pacific Northwest were in town giving live demonstrations as they redecorated 3,000 square feet of Onalaska walls.
Event organizer Justin Boggs grew up in Onalaska, then moved to Oregon to attend community college. It was during his time in Portland that he discovered a passion for graffiti. Now a fine-arts student at the University of Oregon, Boggs used his connections in the street art community and reached out to the some of the most talented spray painters in Oregon, Washington and Vancouver, B.C.
“It’s really the ideal location since it’s between Seattle and Portland,” said Boggs.
The 18 artists worked at three different locations at what Boggs hopes will be the first year of an annual event.
“This isn’t us trying to change negative stigma of graffiti; we’re not condoning illegal graffiti. We’re showing what can be done with it as art,” Boggs said.
Graffiti is an eyesore in most cities, and public works departments are usually fast to paint it over, but city officials and business in Onalaska are embracing it, for the weekend anyway.
The community agreed to offer 3,000 feet of wall space at the old transfer station, a large smoke stack and the outdoor basketball court cover at the local middle school to be painted by the artists.
“We’ve also raised about $2,000 from local businesses to help pay for the paint,” said Boggs.
The artists started painting at 9 a.m. and were to continue until 11 p.m. at all three locations.
