A sizable, mostly hometown, crowd turned out to celebrate the mural “Nirvana and Aberdeen” at Our Aberdeen’s “Come as You Are” gala on Saturday afternoon.
The 68-foot mural was dedicated to the late Jim Moore, a longtime downtown businessman, and is affixed to the upper level of Moore’s Interiors on Wishkah Street.
The civic and arts group Our Aberdeen commissioned the “Nirvana and Aberdeen” mural by a team of five artists, led by Erik Sandgren, an instructor at Grays Harbor College. Three of the four younger artists attended: Jason Sobottka, David Wall and Anthony James Cotham. The fourth artist, Dominic Senibaldi, who lives in Indianapolis, was respresented with a cutout head, held up by Sandgren.
Nirvana co-founder and bassist Krist Novoselic was on hand to salute the artists and town for honoring the band, the bands who inspired them and the scene that helped grunge rock explode in the late 1980s and 1990s.
As other dignitaries spoke at the public dedication, Novoselic quietly drew a tablet out of his leather bag and snapped a photo of the mural, glowing in the late afternoon sun. Asked his opinion of the piece, he said, “I love it, that’s why I am here.”
The hot, sunny weather brought out an eclectic array of mural enthusiasts, babies, awestruck teens, politicians, media types, academicians, artists, musicians and grunge rockers of all ages. Loud cheers greeted Novoselic who went to school in Aberdeen and who, with best friend Kurt Cobain, formed Nirvana in the town described by many in attendance as gritty.
Cobain, an Aberdeen native, committed suicide in 1994 at the height of the band’s fame. He is seen sparingly in the mural, a deliberate artistic choice, Sandgren said.
Cheers also greeted gala organizer and Our Aberdeen co-founder Sylvia Dickerson’s dedication of the mural to the late owner of Moore’s Interiors, Jim Moore, whose family turned out in force to help celebrate.
“Welcome to Grungeland” said a sign carried by Tori Kovach, who is depicted in the 68-foot mural that spans the upper level of the building. Kovach, more than anyone else, is responsible for the small park honoring Cobain in West Aberdeen.
At the private reception, Grays Harbor College President Ed Brewster, who is chairman of the board of Our Aberdeen and new Our Aberdeen board member Sean McDonald, publisher of The Daily World, welcomed guests. Two other artists, Jenny Fisher who just finished “Kelp Forest” on the City Center Drug building and Gavin Miller, who redid the mural on Southside Swanson’s by Bob McCausland, also spoke.
Mayor Bill Simpson and Dickerson, who was visibly moved, also thanked people for coming. After speaking briefly, Novoselic signed autographs and posed for selfies, often posed with his palm out.
The dignitaries spoke again at the public dedication, though some shortened their speeches.
Outdoors, Novoselic thanked people for turning out, saying he was grateful. “Thank you for this lovely mural,” he told the crowd.
“It’s great to see you!” yelled a fan.
“We love you, man,” yelled another.
“I love you, too, baby,” Novoselic said good-naturedly, provoking laughter in the crowd. He continued. “… I see all these beautiful faces here and you’re looking at me, but I am getting to look at the mural, which is very wonderful,” said Novoselic. “Nice work, Erik and crew for doing all that mural.”
Early in the artistic process, Sandgren reached out to Novoselic.
“You see Nirvana in the center, but there are a lot of other band names there, a lot of just icons and images that I am sure are open for interpretation … but you can see that there was a community that helped,” Novoselic said, saluting other bands, clubs, record labels and “so many people in Grays Harbor and here in Aberdeen” who helped Nirvana achieve their acclaim.
“So what I capture in that mural is about people,” he said emphasizing the word people. “I am very grateful. I appreciate it very much, all the best to you and for all of our, a great future, thank you.”
And with that, he was escorted by two police officers to his car, wife Darbury Novoselic and his nephew walking along. His wife snapped photos she posted on a blog. A woman with a baby in her arms, pushing a carriage ran to catch up, as did a teenage boy, both wanting autographs. Novoselic obliged and then departed to his self-described home in rainy, misty forests, about an hour south.
Back on Broadway, Vaughn Johannes sang soulfully over Broadway’s beer garden, Christian Burgess of Jacknut sold Cobain and mural-inspired T-shirts, townspeople gathered in white plastic chairs, some talking, some listening, one even knitting. Nearby, folk filled the Tap Room where sports played on screen and GH Wine Sellars drew a conversational crowd.
For video, including full comments from Novoselic and a look at the details of the mural, visit http://ift.tt/1ogwBvt
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