Murals at the Library
Discover the murals featured at the Seattle Central Library and our neighborhood branches. These murals were created in collaboration with local artists, non-profits and community groups.
Central Library
Reading in Relation Zine Room Mural, 2024
E.T. Russian
“Reading in Relation” is a 42-foot mural printed on vinyl outside the Zine Room on Level 7. The mural is an ode to the Pacific Northwest, and is inspired by zines and lo-fidelity zine tools and the business, science, and technology sections on this level. The mural was created by E.T. Russian, a multi-sensory artist, maker of comics and zines, disability justice advocate and healer. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Russian’s zines are part of the Zine Archive & Publishing Project (ZAPP) Zine Collection.
Space Mural, 2019
Will Schlough for Urban ArtWorks
The “Space Mural" near the Technology section on Level 7 was created using acrylic paint in 2019 by Seattle artist Will Schlough, with the help of local youth through the non-profit Urban ArtWorks. The mural references space-themed books by Pacific Northwest writers, as well as subjects from this level’s Dewey Decimal categories (including Vehicles and Electronics). Stop by and post an #SPLselfie.
Underwater Mural, 2018
Will Schlough for Urban ArtWorks
The “Underwater Mural” on Level 3 was created using acrylic paint by Seattle artist Will Schlough for Urban ArtWorks, a Washington non-profit that engages youth, artists and communities in the creation of public art. The mural, which is located next to the Red Floor stairs, features water-themed books by local authors and playfully speaks to Pacific Northwest ecology with its underwater theme. Stop by and post an #SPLselfie.
Magnolia Branch
Children’s Area Mural, 2026
Nick Alan Foote
Spanning 23 panels across the Children’s Area, the mural tells a single, continuous story about connection and the role that salmon play in it. Water moves from mountain to sea and back again, carrying life with it. Salmon become the thread that ties the land, the water, the animals, and the seasons together, showing how every part of this world depends on the next.
South Park Branch
Study Room Community Mural, 2019
Angelina Villalobos
The community mural in the South Park Branch study room was created by teen patrons and local artist Angelina Villalobos. The youth artists worked together to identify themes representing the neighborhood and the Duwamish River valley and completed the mural in November 2019. Villalobos’s work often highlights the struggle of growing in difficult spaces by depicting nature thriving in manmade circumstances.