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Dinged $2K for unauthorized mural, Capitol Hill’s Studio Paradiso raising funds

(Image: Studio Paradiso)

(Image: Studio Paradiso)

You can help a Capitol Hill arts space stay afloat after its landlord nailed the little studio for an unauthorized mural.

Studio Paradiso is already at more than 80% of its fundraising goal thanks to a rush of small donations over the past week:

My name is Wyatt Landis and I run a small, independent art school and gallery in Capitol Hill called Studio Paradiso. A big misunderstanding with the landlord resulted in a $2000 fine, which if not paid in full by March 31st, it will cause the studio to close.

The problem has to do with a large graffiti mural designed and painted by a famous Seattle Graffiti artist that was supposed to bring more attention to the studio and act as a deterrent to the constant tagging to the building. The corner of Madison and 10th has had a continuous problem with vagrancy, theft and littering. By adding a piece of art to the façade we hoped to improve both the safety and the overall appearance to the location (nearby business loved it!).

The landlord did not approve and had it repainted and gave me a $2000 fine that I have no means of paying. I am asking you to help me keep Studio Paradiso alive.

Studio Paradiso owner Wyatt Landis says the space is about to celebrate its third anniversary and “currently hold a variety of drawing and painting classes twice a week.”

The studio, above a longtime drycleaning space, is part of a 1959-built two-story building owned by a family trust.

You can learn more and give here.

 

 

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7 Comments
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pragmatic
pragmatic
8 years ago

That landlord is lame.

Mimi
Mimi
8 years ago

I don’t get what this . . . wasn’t permission to paint the mural cleared with the landlord before it was painted? If not, that seems pretty stupid. I’m all for public art but this situation seems off. If in fact it was a mistake on the part of the art studio, I think asking for donations is super tacky. I’m really sick of seeing GoFundMe accounts pop up daily for every situation under the sun.

J
J
8 years ago
Reply to  Mimi

So, from what I understand (when I first saw this elsewhere), is the guy had talked to the landlord at some point in the past about having some kind of mural done but, didn’t actually approve this specific mural by these specific artists at this specific time. Hence the “big misunderstanding”. I agree that he should have been more certain and that it’s kind of lame to ask others for the money but, also, $2k to buff out a mural is insane(!) and he thinks the landlord is just trying to force him out, possibly so the landlord can sell. That is what I’ve gathered, anyways.

Mimi
Mimi
8 years ago
Reply to  Mimi

If this if what happened then the I think Wyatt Landis is at fault. If you are going to paint a mural on a building owned by someone else, wouldn’t you first run a drawing of that mural by the owner? I would even go as far a to get the landlord to put their approval in an email to protect myself. It doesn’t sound like Landis did his due diligence in this instance. I don’t blame the landlord for being mad and I don’t think 2k is too high a fine for basically defacing his property. It looks like Landis has raised his 2k so all is well I suppose.

Guy
Guy
8 years ago

I agree this sounds a little off. Why didn’t the landlord let them paint over it? I don’t think the landlord can default/evict in this instance. On the other hand, if the landlord want them out, it’s going to happen, unless they signed a looong term lease. If there is a long term lease in place, they should take it to small claims court.

seattlecarol
seattlecarol
8 years ago

Noticed that the tagging has commenced now that the mural is gone. The Landlord will need to continue to keep that painted.
I was sad to see the mural go as it really did brighten up that blight of a corner.

J
J
8 years ago
Reply to  seattlecarol

Yep. FWIW, the artists involved are a local duo that goes by the name They Drift (found here: http://carlosgaguilar.com/) and another local legend, graffiti artist Sneke. All good people, check them out.