Little Art City Spins Kelly Avenue in Right Direction

Scott Stephenson, Matt Barnett, Artist MacRae Wylde and Marcos Vizcarra roll the “Open Door” into place. The Sculpture signifies the welcoming aspect of The Next Door Programs as they work to assist people in the Gorge.

Street gets multiple improvements in span of a week

By Tom Peterson

Sculpture, plantings and vibrant colors have transformed Kelly Avenue in The Dalles this week as multiple projects, both public and private, have coalesced to give the thoroughfare an inviting and clean look. 

The Next Door

Artist MacRae Wylde brought his Open Door sculpture to fruition this morning, June 2, with the help of many hands.

They installed the sculpture at the entrance to The Next Door entrance, 1113 Kelly Avenue, signifying that their door is always open for those in need. 

“It’s hard to ask for help,” said the Next Door’s Justine Ziegler. “Some people come to us for services are scared. They can have anxiety or depression. But this building is welcoming and comfortable.”

Marcos Vizcarra with The Next Door shows of the most important piece of the puzzle in erecting the sculpture - a string level. Who knew a bubble in a tube of glass could be so precious.

The Next Door has more than two dozen programs that supportand empower people in our community, , such as a foster parent program. To find out more, click here.  

The building also sports an incredible mural of Native Americans fishing with dip nets in the mist of Celilo Falls - its dreamlike and intriguing and harkening back to a more symbiotic relationship with the earth. The falls are still spilling under apparently placid water 15 miles east of The Dalles. 

Wylde had the assistance of Marcos Vizcarra, Scott Stephenson of The Dalles Art Center and friend Matt Barnett to roll the sculpture into place. They went Egyptian on it and used some pieces of pipe to roll the aluminum piece into place.

When finished, the base of the sculpture will also have an aluminum welcome mat, with the word welcome written in Spanish, English and in the Ichishkiin (Sahaptin) language. It will say, Kwałanam wiyanawi, which translates to “welcome.”

Drawings by local youths will also be etched in aluminum and placed into the insets in the concrete stand that was erected to hold the sculpture. Ziegler said the artwork will draw on themes of community, home and family.

“The kids will have ownership of it and they can bring their neighbors, friends and family and they can say, ‘yeah, I helped to that,’” he said.

MacRae Wylde, Justine Ziegler, Matt Barnett, Marcos Vazcarra and Maria Marquez are all smiles after installation came off without a hitch this morning. If you check out the new art, make sure to take in the incredible mural on the parking lot side of the building.

Wylde said he was working with several youth groups involved with The Next Door, such as the Klahre House alternative school in Hood River.

Carter Jones and Cindy Keever were getting after it this morning, planting the Kelly Triangle Island with frest plants.

Kelley Triangle

Just up the street, Carter Jones and Cindy Keever with the City of The Dalles planted the Kelly Triangle Island with multiple plants to accent the new tree and giant wind-driven copper sculptures. 

The project was spearheaded by The Dalles Beautification Committee and looks to be coming to a close as irrigation, plants and art are now blending in the public space. 

La MIchoacana Store 

Just across the street, Art Mendoza was busy this past weekend giving another vibrant coat of yellow paint to the family’s La Michoacana Store at 1210 Kelly Avenue. Things are looking up.

And it is true once again - many hands make light work.