French
DeutschHot Rat Summer
| Hot Rat Summer | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The artwork in July 2025 | |
 | |
| Artist | Unknown |
| Location | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| 47°37′02″N 122°19′10″W / 47.6171006°N 122.3195172°W | |
Hot Rat Summer is the unofficial name given to a guerrilla mosaic public artwork installed in Cal Anderson Park in Capitol Hill, Seattle in 2024. It is located within one of the north-facing arcs of the historic Capitol Hill Gatehouse.[1] The mosaic became the subject of local controversy after repeated removals by the city and subsequent grassroots restoration efforts. Widely interpreted as a symbol of queer and trans resilience, the mosaic gained cult status and sparked broader discussions around public art, graffiti policy, and civic engagement; eventually gaining the support of city council members Alexis Mercedes Rinck[2] and Joy Hollingsworth to express support and participate in a community clean-up event restoring the mosaic.[3][4]
Description
[edit]The artwork is a small tile-and-glass mosaic installed on the side of a utility gatehouse in Cal Anderson Park, in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. It features a rat in a devotional pose, surrounded by a gold halo and adorned with a red sacred heart. The mosaic includes a small trans pride flag embedded in the lower right corner. Seattle University art history professor Ken Allan told The Stranger that the piece "refers to Byzantine mosaic tradition in a fun way" and "the use of architecture nicely echoes this".[5]
History
[edit]
The mosaic is believed to have been installed during the summer of 2024. The artist or collective responsible has not been publicly identified. Its presence was not widely noted until early 2025, when public interest in the piece began to spread via social media and local online forums. The mosaic has a nickname, "Saint Rat."[3][4]
The City of Seattle initially classified the mosaic as graffiti. Between late 2024 and mid-2025, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) crews reportedly painted over the mosaic at least four times. The concealment prompted swift backlash from community members, who stripped away the paint to reveal and restore the artwork.[1]
During this time, the city also moved to increase fines for graffiti and tagging violations, passing an ordinance in July 2025 that raised penalties up to $1,500 per incident.[6] Critics noted the irony of the city's intensified anti-graffiti stance coinciding with public support for the mosaic and the involvement of two council members in its preservation.[7]
The restoration was widely covered in local media, and the city has since allowed the mosaic to remain intact as of mid-July 2025 and has expressed interest in working with the anonymous artist further.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b AGPhoto (July 17, 2025). "'Let the people have rat' — Work party restores Cal Anderson Park mural". CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck (@councilmember-amr.bsky.social)". Bluesky Social. Archived from the original on July 17, 2025. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
- ^ a b Jensen, Jim (July 17, 2025). "Seattle Hot Rat Summer: What it is, where to find it". FOX 13 Seattle. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ a b The Center Square (July 11, 2025). "'Saint Rat' rises again: Seattle weighs rules for graffiti worth saving". Everett Post. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ Graham, Nathalie. "Hot Rat Summer Gets Its Own Media Stunt". The Stranger. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
- ^ jseattle (July 16, 2025). "Seattle doubles down with threat of $1K fines for 'prolific taggers' — Meanwhile, 'Hot Rat Summer' mosaic to be restored". CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
- ^ FOX 13 Seattle (July 17, 2025). Preserving 'Hot Rat Summer' Seattle mosaic (YouTube video).
- ^ McLoon, Alex (July 16, 2025). "'Hot Rat Summer' mosaic disappears, then reappears. Now Seattle wants to work with the unknown artist". KING-TV. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Hot Rat Summer at Wikimedia Commons
