FERNDALE, Wash. — Officials with the Ferndale Arts Commission (FAC) announced this week another mural from the Downtown Mural Project is nearly completed. The mural is being installed on the former location of the S&H Machine Shop and which later became the base of operations for the monthly publication “The Real Estate Book” at 2050 Vista Drive.
Work began on the mural, entitled “Terrain Train,” the end of June after the building owner agreed to the project and design and paid to have the exterior prepared.
Matt French of Lynden is the mural artist and he has an infamous and perhaps fortuitous tie to the Ferndale area from back in the 1990s according to FAC officials. French told them he had been arrested by Ferndale Police for malicious mischief in 1993 resulting from graffiti painted on a commercial building. According to court records French was sentenced to 30 days in jail and financial restitution.
French said he spent his jail time drawing on envelopes, “which led to me having envelope art published in Thrasher Magazine and an eventual career in the skateboard industry.” According to his website, “he has traveled across the world from California to Tokyo in collaboration with major companies such as Volcom, Nike, Vans, Molotow, Pocket Pistols, Ace Trucks, Polaroid and much more.”
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Click for more informationFrench said he has an uncle who worked for S&H Machine Shop when it was in the building.
FAC officials say this is the 8th mural coming from the Downtown Mural Project and they are looking for more mural locations and designs. Interested building owners and artists are asked to contact FAC via City Clerk Susan Duncan via email to susanduncan@cityofferndale.org or by calling (360) 685-2354.