Seattle’s Chris Cornell Statue Vandalized

The Seattle statue of late Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell, located in front of the Museum of Pop Culture, has been the latest victim of vandalization.

In a report by the Seattle Times, the effigy was seen on Thursday covered in a white substance that was suspected to be paint. The museum issued a statement saying: “We are deeply pained by this act targeting the memory of a beloved artist in Seattle and around the world. We have notified appropriate authorities and have cordoned off the area so that professional conservators can assess the damage and develop a plan that will restore this important piece of public art without damaging it further.”

Cornell’s widow, Vicky, vented her emotions on Instagram, saying that it was an act of “hate and destruction” and that it “was not in the course of riots or protests” but rather “a threat that was carried out by a single disturbed individual at 6am in an attempt to besmirch Chris’s legacy.” She also said that her children were heartbroken with the news of the defacement.

Vicky was grateful for Cornell’s fans, however, “who stood up to support and showed such immense love- after hearing about it, they made their way there in the middle of the night with supplies and tried to clean it up. When we were told about it today I cried, my kids cried-your gesture was a reminder of how much more good there is out there and how you the fans show up for our beloved Chris.”

The statue was created by Nick Marra and was unveiled to the public in October 2018, where Vicky described it as a way to celebrate Cornell’s memory and that it was a “reflection of his light, a light that shone through his music and touched millions; a light that he used to illuminate our lives; a light that will continue to inspire those in the future.”

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