Seattle Art: Henry Murals

Henry (full name Ryan Henry Ward) has been brightening up our city since 2008. How so? With quirky, whimsical murals depicting fantasy characters and wide eyed creatures on colorful backdrops all over the walls of Seattle. He has over 200 murals painted on various surfaces around town and unlike many street artists he always works under the permission of the owner of the wall.

Elephants found at Value Village at 8532 15th Ave. NW

Camel found at Value Village at 8532 15th Ave. NW

Space Lizard found in a residential alley at 8016 20th Ave. NW

 If you are trying to find the deeper meaning behind his art you don't have to. This isn't Banksy trying to make you question the decency of humans, Ward stated in a Seattle Pi Interview, 

"My message is cheerfulness and brightness," Ward said, "and encouraging a fun-loving spirit."

Which is definitely a message we can get behind!

Walrus on a bike found at 8th Ave NW and NW 67th St.

Double camel found on 8th Ave NW

You have probably seen a Henry Mural if you have explored the city much and you might not have known it was one of many created by Henry and if you haven't seen these works of art in person yet, we found a handy-dandy map to start you on your journey!  

HENRY MURAL MAP

While the map is not a complete list, it is a good starting point. We have discovered some of the murals listed on the map have been painted over (sad face), but don't worry the majority are still around!

Interested in buying his art? You can find out more on his website here.

Tree gnome found at 7010 8th Ave

Sasquatch found on Fremont Ave. N.

Flower details at the Value Village mural

You'll know it's a Henry artwork by his signature

Olympic Sculpture Park

Free stuff is our jam. So are awesome waterfront parks and unique artwork. Olympic Sculpture Park: check, check, and check! 

This park is part of the Seattle Art Museum (although it is not in the same location) and was primarily funded by Microsoft COO, John Shirley (a modest $30 million). Lucky us!

And now Seattle has this wonderful park.

This park is full of wonderful, sharp lines.

Left: Eagle by Alexander Calder. Right: Echo by Jaume Plensa.

Eye see you. 

This park is a part of every tour we give friends from out of town. We love the architecture and the almost Easter egg hunt quality of the art. If you aren't looking for it, you could walk right by and never know! 

So go check it out! It is fairly wheelchair accessible, it is free, and there is parking. Kids love it, dogs love it, adults love it, heck we once saw a cat being walked and it looked about as happy as any cat can. 

Walk along the Seattle waterfront and look for seals along with art! 

Insider Tip: If you continue to follow the path once you get down to the waterfront you will eventually be in Myrtle Beach Park. Keep going! This park has an amazing walk along the water. Try to make it for a sunset; we promise, Puget Sound and the Cascade Mountains make it quite the show!

Myrtle Beach Park takes you right up to Puget Sound.

Go here to see a map and more info about parking. 

We also recommend reading up on the art in the park so you don't miss any of the less obvious installments.

Chihuly Garden and Glass

Visitors flock to Seattle Center to see Seattle's number one attraction: The Space Needle. Upon arrival most people also notice the beautiful glass sculptures right next door. We want to let you know that this attraction is not to be missed! Dale Chihuly is one of the Pacific Northwest's most famous artists and there is an obvious reason. Simply put, his glassblowing sculptures will stun the pants off of you.

The Garden and Glass exhibition in the Seattle Center is a beautiful combination of new and old and a clear testament to the Pacific Northwest's culture of art and innovation. 

Chihuly, born south of Seattle in Tacoma, WA, creates an amazing variety of large glass sculptures. Many of his creations are hundreds of small pieces placed together to create one large piece. These pieces have to be taken apart to clean one at a time (no bulls are allowed to work in this china shop). He purposefully does not give any sort of map on how to put it back together so that each time the gallery cleans a piece it then takes on a new shape depending on how they piece it back together.

The exhibition is separated into three parts:  the indoor galleries, the Glasshouse, and the Garden. The indoor galleries are incredible. Each room is filled with awe-inspiring exhibits and knowledgeable staff to give you background about each piece. The Glasshouse, our personal favorite, is a large glass building toward the end of the exhibit with a giant statement piece that dwarfs you as you walk in and it hangs over your head. Last, you are released into the Garden to explore the glass sculptures mixed in with the plants and flowers (with the Space Needle looming overhead). 

On a bright day, Chihuly's work adds a spectacular pop of color to Seattle Center and on a rainy day it will brighten even the darkest clouds. It is a don't miss in the city and since it is a stone's throw away from a place everyone usually visits it is an easy addition to the sightseeing tour! The gift shop is also a fantastic place to get great Seattle gifts that are a bit better than your average Sleepless in Seattle t-shirt or Space Needle Snow Globe.

Check out additional details here to learn more about the artist, exhibit hours, and how to buy tickets.