In 2016, the Main & Vine Mural was a unique opportunity to experiment and blend charcoal with ordinary house paint. Unfortunately, the work was short-lived. The building was torn down and replaced with Metropolitan Market in 2020.
(click to toggle between the two design sketches above)
The two murals took one month to paint and were completed the day before the store opened on February 1, 2016. The design reflects Gig Harbor’s changing identity… once a commercial fishing town, it has become a tourist destination for recreational boaters. Gig Harbor was once home to over 35 fishing vessels and known as the most successful fleet in the Northwest. Only about 12 working boats remain today.
The main floor mural (14x17ft high) featured the "New Oregon" owned by local fisherman, Andy Blair. His son (Rickie) is in the skiff next to the vessel.
Artistic license placed Darrin Stutz, longtime skiffman for the "Memories," in the foreground (above). Mike Babich’s "Mystic Lady" is shown far left under Mount Rainier.
The Memories (center fishing vessel) was originally built in 1957 for my father, George Ancich, until he retired in the 70s and his son Paul took the helm. Paul’s shadow can be seen in the tophouse. In an eerie coincidence, the flag on the New Oregon is at half-mast… I didn’t learn until much later that it was in honor of my brother’s passing in 2010. Chuck Horjes and Mitch Clark own the boat today.
The mezzanine mural (8x14ft wide) shown below depicts the iconic lighthouse at the entrance of Gig Harbor.
Mount Rainier and the Cascades wrapped across both murals.
Mural artist Bob Henry painted the fog, water-spray, and almost all of the seascape backgrounds. (I want an electric lift like the one above…)
Tacoma News Tribune -- January 28, 2016