Check Out the New Bainbridge Postcard Mural – Designed by Artist Molly Brahmer – to be Unveiled Saturday March 22 at The Cove in Downtown Winslow

Life-long Bainbridge Islander Molly Brahmer has been a muralist for roughly three years now. She’s done a number of paintings around the region, including in the showroom of a car dealership in Renton, on the chimney of a private residence in Bellevue, and, of course, on her beloved island.

If you walk down the south side of Winslow Way, heading towards Eagle Harbor Books, you’ll see a very whimsical piece of hers on the wall leading down the steps to the Rabbit Hole https://www.bainbridgeisland.com/business/the-rabbit-hole/, a self-proclaimed funky gift store that once housed the island’s only shoe repair shop.

Brahmer, whose maiden name is Dwyer, and, with full disclosure, is my daughter, has done other art murals on Bainbridge, including a six-foot-tall map that is hanging in the Chamber of Commerce office, at Bainbridge Tapas and on the walls of Nirvana, the Indian Cuisine restaurant in The Pavilion.

She’s also painted a fair number of windows at local businesses, such as Sisters Cider House, Furnish Bainbridge, Sweet Deal, Dana’s Showhouse, Magnolia’s and others. As she continued to develop her muraling skills, she dreamed of doing something bigger.

“I always wanted to do a postcard mural for Bainbridge Island,” recounts the 36-year-old artist. “I’ve seen them all over the world.”

Her dream came true last fall when she was hired by Arts & Humanities Bainbridge to create some sort of mural for Downtown Winslow. “We met and I said ‘what about a postcard mural?’ And, they said, yes, go for it.’”

Postcard murals are fairly common. If you’ve traveled in the United States, you’ve probably seen them attached to a prominent building or signpost at the entrance to a city or town, or in a city center. “They typically say, ‘Greetings from Austin, or Bend or Seattle,’” Brahmer says. “(Most) every city has one and people always take pictures in front of them.”

Thanks to grant money obtained from Art WA and the Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island, the Bainbridge mural was financially supported. But before Brahmer could whip out her paint brushes, and begin the project, AHB polled its members and other local art influencers to see what they wanted expressed on the mural.

The line-up of requests included many iconic symbols of Bainbridge Island and its environs: Frog Rock, the Japanese Memorial, Blakely Harbor, Pickleball, the Ferries, Mount Rainier, and a Blue Heron, among other recognizable examples.

Why a Blue Heron and not the majestic Eagle? Brahmer says, in her opinion, “the blue heron is more unique to Bainbridge Island than an Eagle is. … And, we have one of the largest colonies (actually a Rookery) here than anywhere else in the region, if we can find a (future) home for them.” (Bainbridge Land Trust is trying to locate another place for the heron’s to nest, as their current location on Lovell Road is earmarked for development. But that’s another story).

Brahmer says the postcard mural was delayed for a time, as it took a while to receive feedback from the artist community on what they envisioned for the mural, plus the holiday season then set in, distracting people, and a further delay occurred when AHB was not able to get permission from a building owner in Downtown willing to allow the mural to hang from their premises.

“They reached out to multiple owners,” Brahmer recalls, “but The Cove was the only taker.” The Cove is the new name of the former Winslow Mall, located in the heart of Downtown Winslow. Brahmer’s completed mural will hang on a brick wall in front of the shopping center facing the street.

The cold weather played an additional factor in Brahmer further delaying work on the mural. Because of its size and scale – four, 4 x 8 aluminum panels – she couldn’t find an adequate space that was warm enough in which to do her painting. Finally, in mid-February the owners of The Cove gave her permission to use an empty storefront in the mall to do the job.

She festooned a window on the shop saying “Mural in Progress” and got to work. After priming the panels, she traced her design from a projector on to the surface and began painting. It took her about a week to 10 days to complete the mural.

The hardest part was painting the ferry, Brahmer says. But she also was challenged in capturing a Japanese woman with a suitcase in hand walking to the ferry, with oragami paper cranes in the background, as depicted in the Internment Memorial.

Brahmer’s mural will be officially unveiled at a ceremony this coming Saturday, March 22 at 10:30 a.m. at The Cove. The public is invited to view this impressive piece of artwork.

Besides muraling and window painting, Brahmer, whose day job is working as a Flight Attendant for a major international airline, also does pet (and human) portraits. She’s been doing so since 2019. To learn more about Brahmer’s portraits, visit her @MollyBramherArt on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. You can also email her at: MOLLYBRAHMERART@Gmail.com

Photos courtesy of Anna Carson and Molly Brahmer. … Read a previous story about Molly Brahmer in The Island Wanderer: https://theislandwanderer.com/meet-my-daughter-an-inspiring-maker-of-fun-love-pet-portraits/

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