Hot Rat Summer

Devon tells Liz about Seattle's current controversy with a feel-good ending: the story of the Hot Rat Summer mosaic in Capitol Hill's Cal Anderson Park. AKA "Saint Rat", Hot Rat Summer is a mosaic that has won the heart of its community while getting caught in city's larger push for tougher graffiti laws and punishments, as well as continuing the conversation about the importance of trans visibility. With the controversy heating up in June and July of 2025 and a resolution on our about August 4, this is our most current Pacific Northweird story covered to date.  We talked for over an hour and a half on and around Hot Rat Summer, going over public art, community rights and roles, trans visibility, laws and policies, art history, and more: editing this episode down to just about 40 minutes was a challenge. If you'd like the 60 minute version, join us over on Patreon where we left in bits about Liz's work on Expo '74, Devon's experience editing, a deeper dive into public policy thanks to Liz, and a small aside about big balls. Instagram: instagram.com/theouijabroads  Patreon: patreon.com/ouijabroads  Show Notes/Sources Consulted: ouijabroads.com/show-notes