The two Gorge artists who painted the 1,800 square foot mural — Mary Garcia (right), and Angela LoJacono (left) — share a moment of celebration on June 1 as the final strokes of paint were being applied.
Bright new mural off Jewett Street in White Salmon got
The two Gorge artists who painted the 1,800 square foot mural — Mary Garcia (right), and Angela LoJacono (left) — share a moment of celebration on June 1 as the final strokes of paint were being applied.
WHITE SALMON — A colorful new mural in the heart of White Salmon’s city center is grabbing well-deserved attention. Painted by Gorge artists Mary Garcia and Angela LoJacono, the 1,800 square foot south wall of the Everybody’s Brewing building at 177 E. Jewett Blvd., previously bland gray, is now adorned with a rainbow splash of artistry.
Brightly colored fish swim in a bubbling stream. A giant hummingbird feeds on native flowers and a banana slug stretches high on a wild chanterelle mushroom.
The mural was completed in early June, just before several days of hard rain arrived. The work was primarily funded with proceeds from the White Salmon Wine Walk, an annual community event geared to celebrate wineries around the Columbia River Gorge and raise funds to help pay for local beautification projects.
“The White Salmon Wine Walk was the major contributor for the project, but we also had support from Grove Construction, Peterson CAT, Sherwin Williams, and Color Outside the Lines,” Julie Burgmeier, founder and director of the wine walk, told Uplift Local.
The three companies all donated labor and discounted materials, and Color Outside the Lines, a regional non-profit organization that works to inspire at-risk youth via creative activities, provided consultation and production expertise.
Community members also contributed, Burgmeier said, through Explore White Salmon’s Instagram account and by using a QR code in Everybody’s Brewing that promoted the project.
•••
Douglas Burkhardt, aka D. C. Jesse Burkhardt, is a University of Oregon graduate. He served as an editor, reporter, and photographer with four different community newspapers in Washington and Oregon over a career spanning 23 years. Burkhardt also has published several books on railroad history and operations, as well as two travel-adventures.
Commented