Painting rocks
27/04/25 01:50
Those who drive north from Mount Vernon to Bellingham, WA, on Interstate 5 will likely notice a huge boulder painted with graffiti alongside the road. The rock is frequently repainted, and the messages on the rock change, so those of us who travel the route regularly are used to looking for the rock to check which colors and what messages it will carry. Locals have dubbed it “graffiti rock.” It has garnered enough attention that someone keeps up a Bellingham Rock page on Facebook and updates it with photos of its most recent paint jobs.
According to the Bellingham Herald, the massive boulder was blasted out of Chuckanut sandstone when the Interstate Highway was built in 1966. The rock proved too large to be easily moved and has remained safely off the edge of the highway ever since. The Herald also reports that during the summer of 1969, the rock was painted for the first time. Since then, it has had messages of love, of grief, and occasionally expressions of dislike or hate. Every March 11, family members paint the rock in memory of two brothers who disappeared while kayaking in Bellingham Bay.
The rock is in the news because the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has announced that it will be removed as part of a series of bridge and culvert construction projects to improve the Interstate highway. The exact date of the removal has not yet been announced, and WSDOT officials have not yet said where the rock will be located after removal. The removal will be documented according to state and federal rules regarding impacts on historic properties.
The announcement from WSDOT about removing the rock has sparked conversations about the nature and place of graffiti. Depending on perspective, graffiti can be vandalism or high art. Painting a huge rock is different than taking a can of spray paint to a railroad car or the wall of a private building. While the rock is a natural feature, it was removed from its natural setting. Its current location is not the result of natural processes, but of construction that needed to be accomplished within a limited budget. Because the rock is located on public property in the highway right of way, it generally belongs to all citizens. Painting it has probably been done with limited environmental impact. It has been painted so many times that the paint is inches thick, and probably some of the chemicals from the paint have leached into the surrounding soil, but there are no apparent effects of the decades-long practice of painting the rock. Highway officials have been concerned about the safety of those who paint, as it is often done at night, and accessing the rock means either parking alongside the Freeway or parking at an exit and walking back to the rock, both of which pose safety risks.
An English-based street artist, Banksy, creates street art, often by illegally painting structures without permission. His identity remains unconfirmed, but he has assumed the name. Banksy's works of art have become popular and valuable. Some property owners even insure the unsolicited paintings against being painted over or damaged. The works frequently provide commentary on serious social issues such as child labor and domestic violence. Signed prints of Banksy artworks can sell for six figures in art galleries.
The works of artists such as Banksy have elevated graffiti to an asset class. There are other examples of graffiti moving into mainstream acceptance. Many cities and towns boast graffiti alleys or walkways where walls are painted within rules that allow artists to express themselves legally and have their art viewed by others. Graffiti rock has gained enough meaning and recognition that the state department of transportation understands that it is more than just another rock, and relocating it from its present location will involve careful thought about where it will go and whether or not people will have access to it in the future. It could be placed in a location with safe access where it will continue to be seen by many, and the tradition of painting it will continue. It is equally possible that its relocation will mark the end of that particular rock painting tradition.
Painted rocks have become accepted symbols. We have rocks in our garden that were painted by our grandchildren and placed carefully. At our church camps, painting rocks and putting them in creeks, walkways, and other locations has been a tradition for many years. People sell painted rocks on Etsy. I don’t know where the practice started, but it isn’t something I was aware of when I was growing up. People hiding painted rocks to become surprise messages to strangers has become so common that state and national parks have created laws to prevent hiding them. Leaving painted rocks in such locations is considered littering, and the rocks are removed as trash.
There is a county park a short walk from our home, and next to one of the buildings, there used to be a box filled with painted rocks. Children were encouraged to leave painted rocks and take rocks from the box home. Our grandchildren used to check the box each time we visited. The box has been removed recently, and the painted rocks are also gone. I do not know the reason. Perhaps more rocks were taken than left behind. Possibly maintaining the box and keeping the rocks contained became a problem. Maybe the tradition of painted rocks is beginning to fade for a while in that park.
Not all artwork must be displayed in galleries and exchanged for large amounts of money. I like the idea of art that can be viewed without payment, but I am also concerned about art that disrespects property owners and damages the environment. Some things, including rocks, are beautiful in their own right and do not require human enhancement. Not everything is improved with a coat of paint.
I will continue to notice graffiti rock whenever I drive north from Mount Vernon, but I don’t feel the urge to paint it myself. I’m quite at home with plenty of unpainted rocks and have no plans to start painting them.
According to the Bellingham Herald, the massive boulder was blasted out of Chuckanut sandstone when the Interstate Highway was built in 1966. The rock proved too large to be easily moved and has remained safely off the edge of the highway ever since. The Herald also reports that during the summer of 1969, the rock was painted for the first time. Since then, it has had messages of love, of grief, and occasionally expressions of dislike or hate. Every March 11, family members paint the rock in memory of two brothers who disappeared while kayaking in Bellingham Bay.
The rock is in the news because the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has announced that it will be removed as part of a series of bridge and culvert construction projects to improve the Interstate highway. The exact date of the removal has not yet been announced, and WSDOT officials have not yet said where the rock will be located after removal. The removal will be documented according to state and federal rules regarding impacts on historic properties.
The announcement from WSDOT about removing the rock has sparked conversations about the nature and place of graffiti. Depending on perspective, graffiti can be vandalism or high art. Painting a huge rock is different than taking a can of spray paint to a railroad car or the wall of a private building. While the rock is a natural feature, it was removed from its natural setting. Its current location is not the result of natural processes, but of construction that needed to be accomplished within a limited budget. Because the rock is located on public property in the highway right of way, it generally belongs to all citizens. Painting it has probably been done with limited environmental impact. It has been painted so many times that the paint is inches thick, and probably some of the chemicals from the paint have leached into the surrounding soil, but there are no apparent effects of the decades-long practice of painting the rock. Highway officials have been concerned about the safety of those who paint, as it is often done at night, and accessing the rock means either parking alongside the Freeway or parking at an exit and walking back to the rock, both of which pose safety risks.
An English-based street artist, Banksy, creates street art, often by illegally painting structures without permission. His identity remains unconfirmed, but he has assumed the name. Banksy's works of art have become popular and valuable. Some property owners even insure the unsolicited paintings against being painted over or damaged. The works frequently provide commentary on serious social issues such as child labor and domestic violence. Signed prints of Banksy artworks can sell for six figures in art galleries.
The works of artists such as Banksy have elevated graffiti to an asset class. There are other examples of graffiti moving into mainstream acceptance. Many cities and towns boast graffiti alleys or walkways where walls are painted within rules that allow artists to express themselves legally and have their art viewed by others. Graffiti rock has gained enough meaning and recognition that the state department of transportation understands that it is more than just another rock, and relocating it from its present location will involve careful thought about where it will go and whether or not people will have access to it in the future. It could be placed in a location with safe access where it will continue to be seen by many, and the tradition of painting it will continue. It is equally possible that its relocation will mark the end of that particular rock painting tradition.
Painted rocks have become accepted symbols. We have rocks in our garden that were painted by our grandchildren and placed carefully. At our church camps, painting rocks and putting them in creeks, walkways, and other locations has been a tradition for many years. People sell painted rocks on Etsy. I don’t know where the practice started, but it isn’t something I was aware of when I was growing up. People hiding painted rocks to become surprise messages to strangers has become so common that state and national parks have created laws to prevent hiding them. Leaving painted rocks in such locations is considered littering, and the rocks are removed as trash.
There is a county park a short walk from our home, and next to one of the buildings, there used to be a box filled with painted rocks. Children were encouraged to leave painted rocks and take rocks from the box home. Our grandchildren used to check the box each time we visited. The box has been removed recently, and the painted rocks are also gone. I do not know the reason. Perhaps more rocks were taken than left behind. Possibly maintaining the box and keeping the rocks contained became a problem. Maybe the tradition of painted rocks is beginning to fade for a while in that park.
Not all artwork must be displayed in galleries and exchanged for large amounts of money. I like the idea of art that can be viewed without payment, but I am also concerned about art that disrespects property owners and damages the environment. Some things, including rocks, are beautiful in their own right and do not require human enhancement. Not everything is improved with a coat of paint.
I will continue to notice graffiti rock whenever I drive north from Mount Vernon, but I don’t feel the urge to paint it myself. I’m quite at home with plenty of unpainted rocks and have no plans to start painting them.
