Google chips in $50,000 toward TD Murals
Lisa Wood of Community Services takes a look at the mural of Blanche McGaughey, bronc rider from the early 20th Century who was recently memorialized in a mural at 207 E. 3rd Street near the Oregon Motor Motel. As many as 15 murals will be painted next summer with the arrival of the Walldogs
From Chris Wilson with cplusc.com, a public relations firm in Portland with edits and additions by Tom Peterson:
Google announced today, Feb. 8, a $50,000 grant to The Dalles Main Street to support the upcoming 2022 Northwest MuralFest during which artists from around the country will create more than a dozen new murals in The Dalles downtown district, according to Chris Wilson with cplusc.com
“We’re really excited,” said MuralFest committee member Rachel Carter this morning, Feb. 8. “This is a good indicator… and a good boost to start our fundraiser for sure.”
The 2022 Northwest MuralFest will be held Aug. 24th - 28th, 2022, when a large group of muralists known as the Walldogs will travel to Oregon to paint 15 new murals chosen by residents of The Dalles.
Estimated true costs for the event are around $300,000 but half of the cost hopes to be defrayed through in-kind donation, such as the donation of lifts, hotel rooms and supplies, said MuralFest Committee Member Chris Zukin. “We need to raise another $100,000,” he said today.
Zukin said the $300,000 goal is an estimate and pointed out that if there is money left after the event, it would be used toward mural maintenance.
“This is going to be a great event,” he added, noting 20 to 300 painters from all over the world will come to town and locals are encouraged to help out with the painting.
“Thanks to Google’s grant and the support of so many others, we are very excited to be able to bring in a group of talented artists to share the history and beauty of The Dalles through diverse collections of art,” said David Benko, organizer of the 2022 MuralFest and Executive Director of the National Neon Sign Museum in The Dalles.
With the yeoman’s work of choosing themes behind the committee, Carter said the event is really down to the nuts and bolts. Organizers need to enlist artists and mural leads, and mural designs need to be completed.
Each year hundreds of Walldogs gather to paint murals in one U.S. city to beautify the community and promote regional and national tourism. A group of The Dalles business owners and city leaders convinced the Walldogs to choose The Dalles for the home of its 2022 festival which organizers believe will be only the second MuralFest to occur in the Western U.S.
“Having been in this community for more than 15 years, we know how special The Dalles is,” said Kate Franko, Google’s Regional Head of Data Center Public Affairs. “This event will introduce more people to the city’s diverse, rich history, and we are proud to support The Dalles’ vision as both an economic and cultural destination.”
MuralFest Organizers plan to unveil renditions of the murals early this summer at a public gathering.
Brad Johnson, Justin Riede and Pete McKearnan, above, were burning the midnight oil on Oct. 15, 2021, as they painted a rodeo queen at the Oregon Motor Motel at 200 E. 2nd Street, The Dalles. The mural was a sampling of what’s to come.
Last fall, residents of The Dalles voted on themes for the 15 murals that will be painted during the festival. While mural sites and specific designs are still being decided, themes inspiring the murals are:
Historic contributions of the Chinese Community
Historic contributions of the Latino Community
Artist, pilot & preservationist Jeanne Hillis
Tribal elder and advocate Chief Tommy Thompson
Advocates for equality The Dalles Sorosis Club
Business owners and muralists of the Honald Sign Company
Pulitzer Prize-winning author H.L. Davis
Banker and cattleman Ben Snipes
Celebrated photographer Benjamin Gifford
Historic summer destination The Dalles Dip
The First Foods, sacred foods in Native American traditions
Dance instructor and former Radio City Rockette Eleanor Borg
Each mural will have a lead painter guiding multiple artists to paint and complete the murals through the festival weekend. Along with the painting, the festival will include food, crafts, music, and vendors.
“I am so grateful to our community and contributors like Google who are making this festival a reality and bringing our rich history to light for the public and visitors to see every day,” said Rich Mays, Mayor of The Dalles. “We’ve all worked hard to create this opportunity and are looking forward to seeing its impact.”
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Google has called Wasco County home since 2006 when it opened its very first U.S. data center in The Dalles after negotiating deals for property tax abatements. Many of its 200 or so employees live throughout the gorge.
In November, Google announced plans for future growth in the region. Under new agreements with The City of the Dalles and Wasco County, Google will have the option to build up to two additional data centers. The project will include the cleanup of a former Superfund site, a land donation to the county, and will help protect the region’s natural resources, all while making progress toward the company’s ambitious global water stewardship and carbon-free energy goals.
The company also plans to utilize water resources from the local groundwater aquifer after acquiring water rights for 3.88 million gallons per day attached to the former aluminum plant site in The Port of The Dalles. It has also agreed to pay for $28.5 million of City water upgrades.
Since 2006, Google has contributed more than $2 million to organizations in Wasco County supporting education, reducing carbon impacts, expanding access to the internet and regional economic growth.
