It’s been 25 years since he stood in the Hawk Dome on the three point line, with sun in his eyes and took the shot. He is now known as the Seattle Chalk Guy, but in 1989 he was Martin Hester, number 32.
At Terrace you could see Hester on the basketball court, the football field and even at Alfy’s during 6th period getting half priced pizza.
“Man, if we had cell phones back then I could have done it from class. Isn’t technology great?” he joked, referring to skipping 6th period for pizza runs.
In Hester’s senior year at Terrace the basketball team took 5th in state, which is commemorated in the display case outside the Terraceum.
“I remember for the first time as a sophomore suiting up for varsity [basketball] and [then assistant coach] Nalin Sood took me under his wing, easing all my nerves,” Hester recalled.
Basketball wasn’t the only love Hester had while attending Terrace.
“My favorite thing about Terrace High School was overall good memories and most of all where I met the love of my life. After a couple wrong turns in life fate or, as I believe, God has recently brought me back together with the cutest young lady from the class of 1990, and it all started right there in the halls and classrooms of MTHS,” Hester said.
His overall experience at MTHS was, as he put it, “better than good enough.”
Hester said he never had a favorite class, but he did enjoy classes in which the teacher was what he deemed fair. If the teacher wasn’t fair, he didn’t like the class.
He offered advice to current students, who live in a technological environment that was virtually nonexistent when he was a Hawk.
“The best is yet to come. Don’t be too engrossed in your technological devices and social media that you miss real connections with people and this world,” he said in regards to today’s high school students.
After high school he went to Shoreline Community College before attending Washington State University where he majored in Fine Art and Architecture for three years and minored in Communications.
Hester received his diploma for art as he started doing his own business in the summer of 1997 when he still had two years left on his second major in architecture. He decided not to return and to this day he is self employed as a graphic designer, illustrator and fine artist.
“I like being my own boss, even though he’s a jerk sometimes, “ he joked.
Hester’s work provides signage for weddings and events, and also advertisements for restaurants and marketing companies.
“Art and design appear to be my God given talent so naturally I enjoy doing what I am best at,” Hester said.
You can see Hester’s work at local weddings, fine dining establishments in the greater Seattle area, not-so fine dining establishments in the greater Seattle area, in people’s homes, and even at Safeco Field. Some of his pieces have been shipped to places such as New York, Chicago, Texas, California, Wyoming, Alaska, Las Vegas, Oregon and Japan.
“Get a well-rounded education and find a good marketer,” Hester advises young, aspiring artists.
“If art is your passion, do what you love, work hard at it and you will be successful,” he added.
Be sure to check out more of Hester’s artwork at his website – www.seattlechalkguy.com.
