OUR RIVERWALK. OUR STORIES.
Help preserve Astoria’s Riverwalk mural, especially the painting of Jon Ogren.
Behind Sisu, the former Sears building · 1152 Marine Drive
An independent community preservation effort.
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Recorded support; identities are not independently verified.A friendly clarification: Wet Dog / Astoria Brewing Company is right next door and is not responsible for the mural. [7]
THE PETITION
Keep the mural in place, care for it with the artist and qualified specialists, and include the community before any substantial changes.
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.
City Planning confirms that EX26-04 was approved on August 18, 2026. The staff report proposes removing the mural. We have reviewed the signed approval order; a work date remains unconfirmed. Read the new city record and its limits. 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.
CAMPAIGN UPDATE · SEPTEMBER 30, 2026
City Planning has confirmed approval of the exterior changes. The report proposes removing the mural. We’re asking that the original artwork be retained while preservation options are explored.
If you support the request, consider signing and sharing the petition.
Download the community handout (PDF, 1 page)
A printable page with a QR code linking to the petition and current support. Please ask permission before displaying it at a venue.
The signed August 18, 2026 order approves EX26-04. Planning has confirmed that the staff report was adopted as presented. The report proposes removing the mural while retaining the historic lettering above it. We reviewed the signed order provided September 30; a work date remains unconfirmed. Read the report and source limits.
A work date remains unconfirmed. No agreement to retain the mural or pause work has been secured. We’re seeking a constructive preservation conversation with the responsible property parties, the artist and qualified specialists. See the current source limits.
We’re collecting historical photographs and seeking professional preservation referrals. The practical next step is to document the wall’s condition and explore options with the artist, a qualified conservator and the responsible property owners. No assessment, treatment or funding agreement has been secured. Read the mural-care guidance informing this approach.
How does mural conservation begin? Read Getty’s illustrated Q&A. It explains how specialists assess a mural and develop a plan with owners, artists and the community. [16]
A local example: The Astoria Column’s murals were restored in 2015. The Historical Society identifies John Goodenberger as the on-site manager. This was a separate artwork and project, not an assessment of the Riverwalk mural. Read about the local restoration.
Download the preservation discussion brief (PDF, 2 pages)
The public facts, historical sources and questions to take to a qualified specialist.
An unnamed local contact reports being told that the owner still intends to paint over the mural and is aware of the petition. The contact permitted sharing this information anonymously. This is secondhand information, not a direct owner statement or the city’s decision. Read the source limits.
The city’s October 11, 2022 staff report for a River Trail storage enclosure at this building describes the mural and says, “The mural is proposed to be retained.” This records an earlier proposal. The separate 2026 report now proposes removal; the historical document does not establish continuing protection for the artwork. Read the historical city record.
Oregon’s historic-resource database identifies the former Sears building as Mason-Ehrman & Company, built in 1936, and lists it as a contributing property in the Astoria Downtown Historic District. A Library of Congress Sanborn map, catalogued as 1908 and republished in 1956, shows Mason-Ehrman at 1152 Marine Drive. These records document the building’s history, not when the mural was painted; protection for the later artwork and eligibility for preservation funding remain unconfirmed. [13]
A February 2011 Daily Photo post documents the wall; the figure at its right edge visually matches the panel identified by the organizer as Jon. Library of Congress photographs dated May 23, 2018 document other panels. These records help trace the mural’s history. [9] [10]
MORE THAN A PAINTED WALL
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]
Hear from the artist: In a July 15, 2026 county video, Jo Lumpkin Brown discusses her process for the separate Duane Street Film Mural. Watch the artist discuss her mural work (YouTube, about 3 minutes). [15]
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]
BEFORE YOU SIGN
Signing supports a request to preserve the original mural in place, with special care for Jon’s painting.
Jon Ogren is the person depicted in the blue-green vest with both hands raised. Jo Lumpkin Brown is the artist credited with the mural. Read the story and artist credit.
The signed August 18 order approves EX26-04. Planning confirms the staff report was adopted as presented; it proposes mural removal and retention of the historic lettering above. We have no confirmed work date or agreement to preserve the mural. Read the current city record and its limits.
Names are not displayed on this website. Your name and optional town may be included when the petition is presented to the responsible property owners and decision-makers. You can withdraw your signature here using the same browser while its petition cookie remains available, for up to a year.
Yes. Share the petition with someone who may care, or contribute a memory, a dated photograph or information about the people in the mural. See how to contribute to the existing discussion. Signatures and shared memories do not by themselves establish a conservation agreement.
HELP DOCUMENT THE MURAL
A memory of Jon: One Riverwalk reader remembers Jon as a piano teacher. Shared with permission. [21]
A memory of Jon, an older photograph or a name for another painted figure could help fill in the mural’s history. If you know when a photograph was taken, include the date and how you know it.
A Reddit account is needed to comment. Comments are public; share only memories and material you have permission to share. A link to a photograph’s original source is welcome.
This is a community conversation, separate from signing the petition. Contributions need checking and permission before they can appear here.
A FAMILY CONNECTION
“A picture of 4 of my niece and nephews meeting their Grandpa Jon”
— Claire Ogren
WHY WE’RE SPEAKING UP
A community post raised the concern. City Planning has since confirmed approval of EX26-04, and the staff report proposes mural removal. A work date remains unconfirmed. Read the new city record.
In an Instagram screenshot supplied by the campaign organizer, @gracetheeogre writes:
“I got news the new owner of this building is gonna be painting over this mural...”
That report prompted 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]
The original post is dated September 24, 2026. Its full caption expresses sadness about the possible loss while acknowledging the mural’s wear. It does not identify the source of that news or provide a painting schedule. This was a personal report; the later city record is documented separately below. Read the original Instagram post (Instagram may require sign-in). The supplied screenshot shows part of that caption; received September 26, 2026. [6]
WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR
Retain the existing mural in place, including the painting of Jon Ogren, as a visible part of the Riverwalk.
Explore conservation and maintenance with the mural artist and qualified specialists before covering, removing, or substantially changing it.
Invite the people connected to the mural to help document its stories and discuss any proposed changes before decisions are made.
SEE THE MURAL. FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE.
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]
2011: A Daily Photo post shows a figure at the wall’s right edge that visually matches the organizer-identified Jon panel; the caption does not name him. [9]
2013: Tangly Cottage Gardening published a Riverwalk visit with mural photographs. One approved view of other painted figures appears below; its capture date remains unconfirmed. [14]
2018: Library of Congress photographs dated May 23 document other panels of the mural. [10]
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
Jon’s portrait is one part of a larger mural. This historical view shows other painted figures on the same wall. Their names and stories could help document the artwork.
If you recognize someone or have a dated photograph, see how to contribute to the existing community discussion. Please include how you know the identity or date.
Carol Merwin’s 2023 photographs open on the photographer’s website.
Standing man in a brimmed hat & seated workerWorker in a cap & overallsFigures at the loading windowRESEARCH NOTES · UPDATED SEPTEMBER 30, 2026
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 city staff report now documents proposed mural removal, and Planning confirms approval of EX26-04. We have reviewed the signed approval order; a work date remains unconfirmed. Earlier community reports retain their separate source limits.
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. The original September 24 Instagram post reports possible painting-over and is now linked above. The city notice documents an exterior-work request including repainting. An unnamed local contact has relayed an intention to cover the mural, with permission to share the report anonymously. It is secondhand. Planning now confirms approval of EX26-04 and the staff report proposes removing the mural. The signed approval order has been reviewed; Planning confirms the report was adopted as presented. A work date and preservation agreement remain unconfirmed. The photographs are shown as supplied, without reconstructing or retouching the painting. The state record documents the building’s historic-district status separately from the later mural. A hearing notice is not an issued permit or a current ownership record. Mural protection and funding eligibility remain unconfirmed. No official endorsement is implied.