Fresh Fish!

Located in Seattle’s SODO district, at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Landor Street, this mural is part of the Hope Corps Downtown Seattle Mural Project.

At the heart of the piece is a stylized Coho Salmon, rising above the river’s surface to playfully wave “hello” to passersby. Through lighthearted imagery, the mural contrasts the natural beauty of the nearby river with subtle references to its polluted reality. Discarded barrels float in the background, hinting at the environmental damage beneath the surface.

This work serves both as a historical narrative and a somber reflection on the environmental cost of human progress. At the same time, it is a celebration of nature’s resilience. I chose the Coho Salmon as the focal point because they continue to return to the Duwamish River each year to spawn, and are one of the few species in the river still considered safe to fish.

Ultimately, the mural carries a hopeful message: despite the odds, nature endures. Everything’s going to be fine.

Hope Corps Downtown Seattle Mural Project in association with Overall Creative, Seattle, Washington 2024. Photography by Austin Wilson (@austin_wil)

Mural Commission