October 13, 2026
More than 40 murals are transforming Belltown into an open-air gallery — and offering visitors a colorful new way to connect with Seattle’s working waterfront.
In 2025 and 2026, the Port of Seattle and Norwegian Cruise Line (in 2026) partnered with Belltown Mural Festival organizers, property owners, and local artists to bring new artwork to a key corridor between Pier 66 and downtown Seattle.
In 2024, the City of Seattle launched an initiative to bring more color and energy to neighborhoods across the city. In Belltown, that idea became the Belltown Mural Festival —a weeklong celebration of mural-making that has grown into an annual event.
The success of the festival in its third year is the culmination of public interest and support from both the neighborhood and the larger community, said Aaron Asis, Belltown Mural Festival creator.
“It’s becoming a rallying point for the neighborhood; business owners and property owners are feeling a little bit of ownership of the mural that’s nearest to them. I also get people calling me up and asking how they can get involved,” Asis said.
Today, Belltown’s dozens of murals create a colorful, self-guided walking experience for both local community and visitors. Organizers also occasionally offer guided tours, giving people a chance to learn more about the artists and the stories behind the work.
“We have been strategic about where we place the murals so that they do operate in a walkable loop around the neighborhood,” Asis said.
Meet the murals
“Jurassic Port”
Artist: Derek Wu
Location: Bell Street and Western Avenue
As a child, artist Derek Wu imagined waterfront cranes as dinosaurs. That childhood fantasy became “Jurassic Port,” a mural that reimagines maritime machinery as living creatures. This mural was created in two phases (“Jurassic Port 1” and “Jurassic Port 2”) in 2025 and 2026 with the expansion into “Jurassic Port 2” completing the full face of the wall.
The Port’s long-standing support for Belltown, along with the right property owner, artist, location, and concept made this collaboration a natural fit. The mural’s location, right off the Bell Street Bridge, helps brighten a natural corridor for cruise passengers at Pier 66 to explore the city. It offers a large canvas and views out to the water, providing the perfect opportunity to highlight the working waterfront, Asis said.
“Luna”
Artist: Shogo Ota
Location: 55 Bell Street
Artist Shogo Ota’s mural “Luna” complements “Jurassic Port,” which is located at the same intersection. While “Jurassic Port” focuses on land and sky, “Luna” turns its attention to the sea, featuring a gray whale alongside a Norwegian Cruise Line ship. Sponsored by Norwegian Cruise Line, “Luna” builds on the cruise line’s partnership with the Port on “Jurassic Port.”
As the first mural cruise passengers see when they exit the Bell Street Bridge, “Luna,” along with “Jurassic Port” and smaller community artworks nearby, help create a colorful front door to Seattle.
From there, cruise passengers, along with visitors and community members exploring the area, can follow a lively, visually rich route into and through the neighborhood.
“We want to make sure that the access point for the cruise passengers into Belltown is littered in a good way with this visual work, so that they come in and get excited before the even hit the neighborhood. Then once they're in the neighborhood, they also know that they can follow the trail of murals to explore something new,” Asis said.
Looking ahead
Asis hopes the Port’s support of community-led creativity and relationship-building can serve as a model for future partnerships. The festival is set to continue as long as it “provides value, does right by the community and partners, and there continues to be wall space for murals.”
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