New mural pops up in Edmonds | Arts & Culture

KOMO 4 reporter Denise Whitaker and photographer Brad Baker spotted this mural at 5th and Main Street in Edmonds.

The Edmonds Mural Society is responsible for the painting. But did they dot all their i's?

Edmonds Mayor Gary Haakenson told us that the group did not get a permit or permission from the city for the mural.

However, I spoke with a founding member of the society, Manya Vee, who told me that the group went through city code with a fine-toothed comb and found nothing that restricted them from painting.

So paint, they did!

Now, now...this isn't going to turn into World War III. Vee tells me the society never intended to do something they weren't supposed to do, so they will be applying for a city permit as is necessary.

Vee says she was inspired to start the mural society by her hometown of Toppenish. If you've ever been, you know the tiny dot-on-the-map just east of Yakima is covered in western-themed murals.

Vee says she wanted to bring some of that flavor to Edmonds. And this could be just the start.

"We're hoping to do more murals over time in the downtown area," says Vee, who's owned a downtown art gallery for 10 years. "We've got quite a few blank walls here...and they need art on them!"

The society paid for the mural completely through member fees and donations.

If you need an excuse to go check it out, head down to tonight's art walk or this weekend's big art studio tour.