Lee Schlosser, a Kent resident and emerging artist, has created an imaginative, brightly colored design for the drab gray bowls of the Kent Lions Skate Park.
Schlosser, who just turned 20, will work with city staff and community members to take his vision from two dimensions to three on June 23-24 at the park, located at West Smith next to the Park-and-Ride lot.
Volunteers of all ages, particularly skateboarders who use the park, are welcome to drop by and help paint the mural from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Water and light snacks will be available.
The young artist attended Kentridge High School and is currently working toward an associate degree at Green River Community College. His portfolio demonstrates a whimsical style that incorporates intertwining images, which is what excited staff from several departments at the initial planning meeting, according to a city of Kent media release.
Some of the images will become part of an interactive “find and seek” game posted on the informational kiosk at the park, which is also a target of taggers.
“We know that parents and their kids will enjoy finding the images hiding in the mural,” said Kent Parks Director Jeff Watling.
The downtown skate park is the second of Kent’s three skate parks to incorporate a mural, in part as a tactic to deter taggers. The paint is partially funded by a Bureau of Justice, Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant.
“There are some alternative strategies to deter graffiti, one of them being art murals,” said Sara Wood, public education specialist with the Kent Police Department. “The mural in the bowls of the West Hill Skate Park has been effective in preventing graffiti. We hope this mural in the Kent Lions Skate Park has the same outcome.”
If you would like to volunteer to help paint the mural, call the city at 253-856-5110
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