The outdoor wall mural has been chosen by a number of small
Northwest towns as a strategy for economic development and beautification with
Chemainus, British Columbia, as the most noted example. A dying logging
community on Vancouver Island, it transformed itself into a huge outdoor art
gallery drawing tourists from around the world. Taking a cue from its northern neighbor, the
town of Vale in Eastern Oregon painted 30 empty walls with tales from the
Oregon Trail as a way to attract travelers along Interstate 84. Toppenish,
Wash., Cottage Grove, Silverton, Springfield, and The Dalles have all dressed
up their towns with colorful murals.
A good example closer to Portland, is the town of
Estacada, about 35 miles southeast along the banks of the Clackamas River, at
the edge of Mt. Hood National Forest. Rather young by Oregon standards, the
community was founded in 1905 after a rail line was built to support
construction of a series of hydroelectric dams upstream along the Clackamas
River. The railroad also serviced a thriving logging and milling industry and the
owners of the line (Oregon Water Power and Railway Company) built a grand hotel
and park to lure Portland tourists. On weekends, city dwellers rode the
electric streetcar out to Estacada or further along the route to Cazadero for an
enjoyable day of picnics, fishing, and chicken dinners at the Hotel Estacada.
Over time, the dams were completed, the logging industry
faded, the hotel burned down, and the town began to fade as the local economy
stagnated. In 1992, several local, professional artists joined together to
create the Artback Artists’ Cooperative, and painted the first mural in
Estacada. It was so well received by the community that a tradition was born of
painting a new mural on the fourth weekend in July during the city’s Summer
Celebration. This mural-in-a-weekend program has created a total of 18 murals scattered
about town. Because sun and exposure to weather elements have faded many of the
older murals, the artists have switched to an alternating program of restoring
a mural one year and creating a new one the next year.
Most of the murals celebrate some aspect of the area’s
history and recreational opportunities including Native American life, logging,
the Barlow Road, train travel, fishing, quilting, and mushroom foraging. On the
wall of Wong’s King Chinese restaurant is a colorful mural dedicated to a surprising,
local crop called ginseng. In the early 1900s, this medicinal herb was an
important element in the local economy, and was shipped to China where it is
highly revered for its restorative properties. But, global events including the
Depression, World War II, and the rise of Communism in China brought an end to
the industry.
To visit the murals, pick up a Walking Tour map available
at the Chamber of Commerce office in City Hall on Main Street. Most of murals
are located in a compact area of about six city blocks and their color and size
make them easy to spot. This year’s Summer Celebration falls on the weekend of
July 26 and 27 and provides an opportunity to view a mural in the making. The
theme of the 2014 mural is the Hamatsa dance of the Kwakwaka’waka people of
Vancouver Island, B.C. and will complete a trilogy of native-themed murals designed
by John Freese on the walls of the Harvest Market on Broadway.
In addition to the mural-in-a-weekend project, the
festival includes music, arts and crafts, food and entertainment.
Unfortunately, the trolley no longer brings city dwellers out to Estacada;
you’ll have to drive.
