Oregon Species

Commission for City of Medford. Mural and Ceramic Installation located in Hawthorne Park Viaduct pillars under Interstate-5. 

My team was commissioned to help revitalize this park's reputation from an unsafe and underused space into a vibrant welcoming public greenspace in downtown Medford. Today Hawthorne Park hosts music events, farmer's markets, dog parks and playgrounds. 

Six pillars are painted with the Rogue Valley's landscapes, with each design featuring a native species in their habitat.

With the support of the Wildlife Images Center, we collected the stories and research of many characters including the Western pond turtle, blue heron, trout, salmon, rattlesnake, swallowtail butterfly, pollinators, insects, black bear and cougar.

As a local to Southern Oregon, this wildlife mural has been an experience of restoring reputation and relationship with the park as a vibrant space. It has also been an experience of portraying species that we humans fear or don't connect with. Our hope is that these images can help create a new relationship of respect and curiosity with the black bear, cougar, rattlesnake and others while continuing to honor and revitalize populations such as the salmon and honeybee. 

See more progress images of this project at instagram.com/jessbrinkart.
Collaboration with Ecomurals and support by Lucas Brinkerhoff.