The mural Majority
The town of Toledo will be wall-to-wall art this weekend
By Andrea McCabe
Oregon Coast TODAY
Residing beside where the Yaquina River flows lazily into the ocean and nestled between rolling hills and dense trees, lies the quaint town of Toledo, known in part for attracting residents with genuine artistic skills. The incorporation of artwork can be seen along Main Street in old storefront windows and painted on buildings and walls throughout the town. Many agree this town could have been taken straight out of a story book or Hallmark movie, as authentic creativity flourishes in its community.
The Toledo Teen Mural Tour this June encouraged kids to participate in the town’s artistic culture. This was a collaborative event between the Art Revitalization of Toledo Initiative and the Toledo Public Library.
Students took a tour of 18 different mural sites highlighting the artists, history of the murals and available walls for future murals. This provided inspiration for mural ideas, which they created on mini canvases at the library after the tour.
Children’s Librarian Denyse Marsh is a member of the ART Toledo committee and set up the tour as a joint venture between them and the public library’s youth program. She believes bringing young people into Toledo’s art scene is important to continue the prominence of art in the community.
“Toledo is known for being an art town and we want the youth know they are a part of that and that it can be their legacy too,” she said. “We want murals to go up now and to be taken care of and to be cherished.”
High school senior Cassidy Roberts is the library’s summer intern and realizes the importance of encouraging her peers and other kids to be involved in the community.
“Art is one of my passions so getting other people interested in art is really fun too,” she said. “Art is a good hobby to have to show your creativity.”
The various murals painted throughout town have inspired Roberts with her own painting endeavors. This is exactly the influence Marsh is hoping for.
“If there is youth input, there is a lot more buy-in to keep going as they turn into adults—they appreciate it,” she said. “They can say they had a hand in that and passing the torch.”
Artist Casey McEneny offered advice and lessons at his new mural “Micheal Gibbons,” highlighted on the tour. He has been teaching at Newport High School for 10 years and runs the commercial technical art program. Growing up in a supportive and artistic family, he values the importance of encouraging children to pursue their passions.
“I think the biggest thing to teach kids these days is what are you going to do in your life to set you apart from other people,” he said. “I really want to encourage kids to be free thinkers and problem solvers and I really think that is going to guide them a long way in life. Whatever a kid does, you just want them to be healthy with it, happy with it and take it to a next level.”
Kim Bush was another artist highlighted at the mural walk. She transformed her passion of art from a recreational hobby to a business venture after recently moving to Toledo.
“I think it is really important that when kids are artistic they are supported and nurtured and given the chance to grow and learn,” she said.
Bush is working on an interactive display of three murals with local scenes of water. Students will have the opportunity to paint depictions of the history and culture of Toledo. The ART committee plans to change the interactive mural display each year to continue the participation of the younger generation.
As a mural artist, McEneny has observed the significant impact murals have in the community.
“What I love about murals is the monumental size that overtakes the human spirit and when something is bigger than you, you are forced to submit to it,” he said. “I want people to feel like they are in it.”