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New E Pike mural celebrates growing Movember movement

(Images: Nate Leese for CHS)

Pike mural in progress on Tuesday (Images: Nate Leese for CHS)

In 2012, more than one million people participated in Movember – not no shave November but *mustache only* November – and they weren’t doing it to be coolly unkempt but rather promoting awareness of prostate cancer. This year’s Movember begins with a giant reminder of the cause Capitol Hill — a portrait-styled mural on Neumos facing E Pike. The in-progress work is slated to be wrapped up any minute now.

Artist Jeff ‘Weirdo’ Jacobson, who created this immense 100 plus foot fish mural in Pioneer Square, began work on his Capitol Hill project Saturday and hopes to finish it Wednesday — he planned to complete it Tuesday but his painting lift ran out of juice.

Mo bros John 'Weirdo' Jacobson (left) and Andy Leonetti (right) at the Moe Bar (Image: Nate Leese for CHS)

Mo bros John ‘Weirdo’ Jacobson (left) and Andy Leonetti (right) at the Moe Bar

“It kind of has a punk rockish street feel to it and the eyes will be censored out and over it will just say really simply: take action. And I wanted to do something that was really simple but at the same time direct,” Jacobson said. The mural is roughly 20 x 15 feet.

Started in Melbourne, Australia in 2003, Movember has raised $147 million $444 million globally for prostate cancer research, according to the effort’s website. The Neumos mural is being created to bring further awareness to the issues surrounding prostate cancer and men’s health, its creators say.

The work replaces the most recent mural to grace Neumos created over the summer as part of the Capitol Hill Block Party.

People participating in Movember help organize events, outreach and fundraising using mustaches to promote the cause. Participant Derrick Peters said after making some phone calls that plans for the mural were “within a week basically set-up.”

“This year Derrick connected us and he wanted to do something to help promote the cause and because I paint, kinda put me into a place to do something about it…we started talking and building and now I am fully on board,” said Jacobson.

Last year, Americans raised $21 million for the cause with Seattle accounting for $667,387. According to a Movember press release, “[the organization] granted $7.7 million to the Prostate Cancer Foundation to find better treatments by funding accelerated research programs” as well as donating “$6.2 million to LIVESTRONG to fund education and survivorship programs [in 2012].” A recent New York Times article covered the Movember promotional campaign that includes Gillette print ads and NFL players “growing mustaches and amassing online donations.” The artist on the Seattle project tells CHS that opening up the conversation is also crucial to the campaign’s success.

“It seems like it’s not a cool thing to talk about, you know, testicular cancer ‘or things that cannot happen to you’ or a lot of young people aren’t necessarily effected by it,” Jacobson said. “So to get the awareness out amongst that demographic and that level, I think is really, really important.”

One out of six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their life – a rate higher than breast cancer, according to the release.

If you’re interested in joining the cause, you can learn more about Movember and register on their website as well as check out their Seattle Facebook page. CHS has included upcoming local events for Movember below:

Nov. 7 – MOhai Maddness – 5pm at Mohai – history of the moustache, iconic moustache games, photo booth and live music
Nov. 15 – Mid MOrale Party – 8pm at High Dive – live music: Mealfrog & Airportway, Good Karma Tattoos, free photos and more
Nov. 16 – Moustache Dache – 8:30am at Magnuson Park – 5K run, food, beer garden, games, photo booth, costume contest and more
Nov. 23 – Movemver Charity Poker Tournament – 5pm at Vai6 – poker tournament, raffle, beer, cocktails, bites and more
Nov. 24 – Photo MOjo Shoot – 1pm at Sarah Vanausdoll Photography – photoshoot, libations, small plates, football and more

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Maggie
Maggie
10 years ago

Oh good, it’s that time of year where our boyfriends and husbands decide they want to look like creepy molesters again. I always choose this month to grow my leg & armpit hair out in protest. It works everytime.

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