Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Toppenish - City of Murals










Sadly, we were called away to Oregon last week for the funeral of my dear Aunt Dottie in Springfield (Eugene). The funeral was scheduled for Sunday, so we left Saturday morning for Corbett, Oregon where my brother and sister-in-law (Clair & Beverly) live.

I scurried around Friday getting my appointments for the week-end covered and other odds and ends taken care of.

We left early enough on Saturday that we didn't have to rush to get to Clair's house. For the first time ever, we took the time to drive through the main section of downtown Toppenish, Washington. They have done a fabulous job of scattering dozens of western theme hand painted murals throughout the town.

The purpose of the murals is to tell the story of the history and legends of the community, which still has a significant Indian population, and an agricultural economic base.

These murals are painted on the ends of buildings, at the top of buildings, over the doorways... you have to look around and pay attention or you will miss some.

The first picture above gives you a perspective on the size, with the SUV parked in the lower right section of the picture. They are absolutely fabulous. Click on the images to enlarge. This will give you an even better appreciation for the quality of work in these paintings.

No comments: