At first glance, the mural painted for “The Porch” bandstand at Boulevard Park resembles the actual locale in which it is situated — on Bellingham Bay, with green expanses giving way to views of Portage and Lummi islands.
But look closer and you’ll find fantastical creatures commingling with humans, cars and mermaids sharing space with birds in the sky, and musicians playing a variety of instruments. Those in the know will recognize the three-paneled piece as the work of beloved local painter and printmaker Thomas Wood, who died in the early days of 2022 at the age of 70.
Wood painted the mural for “The Porch” in 2009, when the timber-frame pavilion was dedicated. Since then, the space has served as a covered stage for summer concerts and as a shelter for a variety of other performances and activities.
“The Porch” was built in honor of Mark Witter, a timber framer who died in 2004. Coworkers at Cascade Joinery chipped in to help build the privately funded structure. The vertical slats along the top of the pavilion were built to resemble a harmonica — the instrument Witter played in a local blues band.
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