Iconic Convos: Saint Rat

Nicole Bearden (NB): You’ll find our next guest nestled in an arched niche of the Cal Anderson Gatehouse. Saint Rat is the talk of the town this summer—Hot Rat Summer, that is.  Welcome to Iconic Convos, Saint Rat. I’m thrilled to finally connect.

Saint Rat (SR): Blessings of the Season, my child.

NB: You are having a bit of a moment. How are you dealing with your newfound notoriety?

SR: [A calm, soothing voice moves over me like a caress from a warm breeze on a sunny day.] There have always been those who have held me in esteem. [Darker tone] And those who seek to destroy me. [Back to a soft, lilting intonation.] Right now, at the height of My Season, the two opposing forces are locked in a battle. Shall we have a Hot Rat Summer, or a Broiling Beige Rage Summer? That is the question. Not only for my existence, but for the very future of our city.

All Hail Saint Rat, patron saint of Hot Rat Summer.

The Evergreen Echo

NB: There has been a lot of contention. People paint over you, then the paint is removed almost every other day. It sounds exhausting.

SR: The ones who paint over me, some are following orders. Others…well, they have a grievance with joy and seek to snuff it out at every turn.

NB: What does “Hot Rat Summer” mean anyway? I have my suspicions, but I’d like to hear it straight from the rat’s mouth.

SR: That which brings a rat joy also brings happiness to most living things. The delight of a snack, a romp in the park, the beauty of friendship and affection, stimulating conversation, deciphering a tricky puzzle—we all benefit from a Hot Rat Summer.

NB: That seems like a perfectly charming existence. Why would anyone be bent out of shape about that?

SR: Those who oppose Hot Rat Summer are largely incapable of joy. They see the happiness of others and want to ground it out. They see life as a toil, as an arena to gain power, and they see other living things as pawns in their sport of misery-making.

NB: Sad, but believable. So how do you recommend people show their veneration? Some clean the paint, others leave offerings, one showed up at a city council meeting dressed in your image.

Saint Rat’s impersonator shows at a City Council meeting July 15, 2025.

SR: Oh yes, that was one of my devotees. I appreciate all the gifts of service and offerings, but what fills my soul is to see you all embracing The Hot Rat Summer vibe. Relax, frolic, eat well, spread the love, take care of each other. Enjoy these halcyon days before I hand it over to Mischievous Crow Autumn. And stop voting for politicians who are more concerned about “graffiti” than whether you can adequately live a decent life. Down with the misery-makers! Oh, and one last thing, if you see a rat, think of me, and toss it a crumb or two.

NB: I will have to look into that. Thank you for all your blessings, Saint Rat. We will do our best to live that Hot Rat Summer life.


Saint Rat can be found at the Cal Anderson Gatehouse, nestled into an alcove above the reservoir…or not, if the city has been slinging paint around.

Nicole Bearden

(she/her) Nicole Bearden is a former performance, media, and photographic artist, as well as a curator and scholar of Contemporary Art. She is originally from Arkansas, now from Seattle for the past 25 years, with brief sojourns in Chicago, New York, and Massachusetts.

Nicole graduated with a degree in Art History and Museum Studies from Smith College in Massachusetts. She has worked as a curator, program manager, and event producer at Nolen Art Lounge in Northampton, MA, as an assistant for the Cunningham Center for Works on Paper at Smith College Museum of Art, and at Bridge Productions in Seattle, WA, and was the Executive Producer for the art podcast Critical Bounds. 

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