OUR RIVERWALK. OUR STORIES.

Keep Jon in
the picture.

Save the mural on the backside of Sisu (the Old Sears Building)—with special care for the painting of Jon Ogren.

Add your name

An independent community preservation effort.

A friendly clarification: Wet Dog / Astoria Brewing Company is right next door and is not responsible for the mural. They want to see it last forever, too! [7]

Organizer-supplied photo of the panel identified as Jon Ogren: a smiling painted figure in a blue-green vest with both hands raised; a visitor stands in front
KEEP JON IN THE PICTURE Photo supplied by the campaign organizer · Source details
KEEP THE ART.HONOR THE PEOPLE.PRESERVE THE PLACE.

MORE THAN A PAINTED WALL

A familiar face.
A piece of home.

A waterfront is more than its buildings. It is the people we remember when we walk past them.

This petition calls for keeping the existing mural on the Riverwalk-facing backside of Sisu (the Old Sears Building), especially the painting of Jon Ogren. His place in the mural is the specific focus of this campaign.

Published accounts identify the historic waterfront-worker murals between 11th and 12th streets as work by Astoria artist Jo Lumpkin Brown. They describe scenes woven into the building’s doors, windows, and architecture. [1]

The panel we’re asking to preserve: The campaign organizer supplied the photograph above to identify Jon’s painting—the smiling figure in a blue-green vest, with both hands raised. This identification comes from the organizer; the historical sources credit the mural artist separately. [5]

WHY WE’RE SPEAKING UP

A reported plan.
A call to preserve.

A community post has raised concern that this mural could be painted over.

In an Instagram screenshot supplied by the campaign organizer, @gracetheogre writes:

“I got news the new owner of this building is gonna be painting over this mural...”

That report is the reason for this preservation appeal. We ask the people responsible for the Old Sears Building to clarify any plans and explore keeping the mural, including Jon’s painting. Wet Dog is the neighboring business and is not responsible for the mural. [7]

This is an attributed community report, not confirmation from the owner. The screenshot shows only part of the caption. The full post, its publication date, the reported ownership change, and any painting schedule have not been independently verified. Supplied September 26, 2026. [6]

Supplied Instagram screenshot showing the mural panel and a partial caption from gracetheogre reporting that a new owner plans to paint over it
Supplied screenshot, shown unedited. Open full image ↗

WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR

Preserve first. Plan together.

01

Keep Jon’s painting

Retain the existing mural in place, including the painting of Jon Ogren, as a visible part of the Riverwalk.

02

Care for the original

Explore conservation and maintenance with the mural artist and qualified specialists before covering, removing, or substantially changing it.

03

Include the community

Invite the people connected to the mural to help document its stories and discuss any proposed changes before decisions are made.

THE PETITION

Keep this piece
of Astoria.

To the property owners and decision-makers responsible for the Riverwalk-facing mural on the backside of Sisu (the Old Sears Building):

We, the undersigned, respectfully ask you to preserve the existing mural, with particular care for the painting of Jon Ogren.

We value the artwork as part of the character of Astoria’s waterfront and as a connection to the people represented there. We ask that it remain visible in its present setting.

Before any covering, removal, or substantial alteration, please explore preservation and conservation with the artist, the people connected to the mural, and the wider community. Please document its condition and history, and provide an opportunity for public conversation about its future.

We welcome a constructive partnership that protects the artwork while addressing the building’s maintenance needs. Let’s keep Jon in the picture.

This request responds to a community report that the mural may be painted over. The reported plans have not been confirmed by the property owner, and no schedule is verified. Read the supplied report. This petition is an independent community effort, separate from Sisu, Wet Dog / Astoria Brewing Company, the property owners, the artist, and the City of Astoria.

SEE THE MURAL. FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE.

The wall has a history.

Archival view of Astoria’s waterfront mural
Photo: Harvey Barrison, August 12, 2021 · CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. Displayed at reduced size; photograph otherwise unedited. Mural credited separately to Jo Brown.

A record across the years

2009: Astoria, Oregon, Daily Photo documented the mural on the back of the former Sears building and credited Jo Brown. The post places the Wet Dog immediately beside it. [2]

2021: Harvey Barrison photographed the painted workers and the Mason, Ehrman & Co. lettering on the former Sears building. [3]

2023: Carol Merwin’s Angora Club walking-tour account identifies the Riverwalk murals, Jo Brown, and the former Sears / Mason, Ehrman & Co. building. [1]

September 26, 2026 update: The organizer supplied a photograph identifying Jon’s panel and an Instagram screenshot reporting possible painting-over. These supplied images appear above; their capture dates were not provided. [5] [6]

See the 2023 photo series ↗

More close-up photographs

Carol Merwin’s 2023 photographs open on the photographer’s website.

Standing man in a brimmed hat & seated worker ↗Worker in a cap & overalls ↗Figures at the loading window ↗

RESEARCH NOTES · UPDATED SEPTEMBER 27, 2026

Photographs. Context. Sources.

Historical sources document the mural. The organizer’s photographs identify the panel at the heart of this petition, and the supplied Instagram screenshot explains the reported concern. The property owner’s plans remain unconfirmed.

  1. Carol Merwin — Astoria mural walking tour (July 24, 2023)Photographs, location, building context, and artist credit. Her photographs are linked here rather than reproduced.
  2. Astoria, Oregon, Daily Photo — Part of the Sears building mural (July 5, 2009)Archival photograph, artist attribution, and the mural’s relationship to the Wet Dog.
  3. Harvey Barrison — Astoria, OR_2021 08 12_0720Photograph dated August 12, 2021. Licensed CC BY-NC-SA 2.0; reproduced here with attribution.
  4. City of Astoria — RiverwalkOfficial context for the waterfront route and public access.
  5. Organizer-supplied photograph — Jon Ogren’s panelProvided September 26, 2026 as 1000017935.jpg. Shown unedited. Identification supplied by the organizer; photographer and capture date were not provided. No identity is assigned to the visitor in the foreground.
  6. Organizer-supplied Instagram screenshot — @gracetheogreProvided September 26, 2026 as 1000017936.jpg. Shows a partial caption reporting possible painting-over. The “20 hours ago” label is relative to an unknown capture time; it does not establish a publication date. A direct post link and full caption were not supplied. No affiliation or endorsement is implied.
  7. Organizer’s location clarification — September 27, 2026The mural is on the backside of Sisu in the Old Sears Building. Wet Dog / Astoria Brewing Company is right next door, is not responsible for the mural, and also wants to see it preserved. Location and support clarification supplied by the campaign organizer.
What the research does—and does not—establish

Multiple historical accounts credit Jo Brown with the Riverwalk worker murals. They are distinct from the nearby 1998 Arts Celebration photographer mural. The organizer supplied Jon Ogren’s name, confirmed he is pictured rather than the artist, and supplied a photograph identifying his panel. An Instagram screenshot reports possible painting-over, but the full post and the property owner’s plans have not been independently verified. The photographs are shown as supplied, without reconstructing or retouching the painting. No claim is made about legal designation, required permits, property ownership, or official endorsement.