2008 Woodie Awards
Part of OC's history saved
After covering the seemingly-doomed mosaic for months, one writer feels a 'thank you' deserves to be given to those who saved the piece of OC history
Dan Warn
Issue date:
10/10/07
Section:
Opinion
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Finally, after nearly a year
of putting around ideas, the
Olympic College mosaic,
previously attached to the
condemned Math/Science
Building, has been saved.
I began writing stories
on the mosaic and it's seemingly
imminent destruction
last March. Having been
interested in the mural
since I had first seen it,
I was immediately concerned
when I found out
about its fate.
I sought interviews
with OC librarian Dianne
Moore and Vice President
of Administration Barbra
Martin, among others. I
wanted to know if there
was even a chance that it
could be saved.
Through Moore, I
learned not only that she
was extremely passionate
about the mosaic, but
also that she was the person
persistent enough to
expose the mural's unnoticed
death sentence to the
public. In effect, she started
a movement that would
eventually save the art on
Aug. 31.
In addition to giving
me insight on her involvement
in the movement for
the mosaic, Moore told me
about how the entire 1950s
community of Bremerton
pulled together, lending the
creator, Hank Blass, their
aid and support. This information
only affirmed my
want for the mosaic's salvation.
The interviews with
Martin were a little less
inspirational.
As the person in charge of
the college's ability to save
the mosaic, Martin was hit
with roadblock upon roadblock
when attempting to
help. She had an experienced
art conservationist
and many other specialists
run tests on the mural, but
each and every test showed
that the cost in saving it
would cost far too much.
I was very upset about
this, and by the time my
third article on the mural
surfaced, it seemed like a
funeral was immanent. By
all accounts, the mural's
salvation seemed unrealistic
However, unrealism
didn't stop Bonnie Loop
from putting her two cents
in. An OC student from the
time of the mosaic's construction,
of putting around ideas, the
Olympic College mosaic,
previously attached to the
condemned Math/Science
Building, has been saved.
I began writing stories
on the mosaic and it's seemingly
imminent destruction
last March. Having been
interested in the mural
since I had first seen it,
I was immediately concerned
when I found out
about its fate.
I sought interviews
with OC librarian Dianne
Moore and Vice President
of Administration Barbra
Martin, among others. I
wanted to know if there
was even a chance that it
could be saved.
Through Moore, I
learned not only that she
was extremely passionate
about the mosaic, but
also that she was the person
persistent enough to
expose the mural's unnoticed
death sentence to the
public. In effect, she started
a movement that would
eventually save the art on
Aug. 31.
In addition to giving
me insight on her involvement
in the movement for
the mosaic, Moore told me
about how the entire 1950s
community of Bremerton
pulled together, lending the
creator, Hank Blass, their
aid and support. This information
only affirmed my
want for the mosaic's salvation.
The interviews with
Martin were a little less
inspirational.
As the person in charge of
the college's ability to save
the mosaic, Martin was hit
with roadblock upon roadblock
when attempting to
help. She had an experienced
art conservationist
and many other specialists
run tests on the mural, but
each and every test showed
that the cost in saving it
would cost far too much.
I was very upset about
this, and by the time my
third article on the mural
surfaced, it seemed like a
funeral was immanent. By
all accounts, the mural's
salvation seemed unrealistic
However, unrealism
didn't stop Bonnie Loop
from putting her two cents
in. An OC student from the
time of the mosaic's construction,
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