NEW REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP, THE clatskanie Mural festival
CLATSKANIE, OREGON
Thanks to grants from the Oregon Cultural Trust, Roundhouse Foundation, the Columbia County Cultural Coalition, and PSAA, a team of muralists will help bring new murals to the town of Clatskanie!
Located near the intersections of Highway 30 and Highway 47, the town of Clatskanie (population 1,751) in the upper Nehalem Valley is a charming rural Oregon town along the Columbia River. Over the course of almost two weeks, Oregon muralists will create new pieces of public art for all to enjoy. We invite everyone to stop by, follow along with the process, and chat with the artists! Local students will also have the opportunity to help muralist Matt Schlosky with a large-scale mural at Colvin’s Bar & Grill. All this leads up to a celebration festival on Saturday, June 20th, 2026, hosted by the Clatskanie Chamber of Commerce, and planned by local resident organizers, Jasmine and Kris Lillich, Sierra Trass, Sarah Johnson, and Clatskanie Middle High School art teacher, Jaime Erwin.
The Clatskanie Mural Festival is part of PSAA’s rural arts initiative and is designed to transform underutilized spaces into points of pride in the community’s cultural landscape. Murals will celebrate Clatskanie's identity, incorporating local themes like railroad history, farming, fishing, local flora and fauna, timber industry history, mushroom hunting, and more.
The Clatskanie Mural Festival is a collaborative effort that brings together key organizations invested in Clatskanie’s cultural and economic growth. Thank you to our partners, the Clatskanie Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Revitalization Committee, and the Columbia Economic Team for their efforts over several years to make this happen.
This project continues PSAA’s Rural Mural Festival series, started in 2021 with the nearby Vernonia Mural Festival, and will allow visitors to ride the Timberlands Road (Highway 47’s nickname) to explore small town public art through the coastal range of Oregon, from Vernonia to Clatskanie!
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, JUNE 5
• Artist Hayden Senter begins painting 2 murals
FRIDAY, JUNE 12 - SATURDAY, JUNE 13
• Artist Julia Alexis Hunkler begins painting
FRIDAY, JUNE 12 - SATURDAY, JUNE 13
• PSAA arrival, site setup, and preparation
SUNDAY, JUNE 14
• Artist Matt Schlosky begins painting 2 murals
TUESDAY, JUNE 16
• Matt Schlosky hosts Community Painting Day at Colvin’s Pub
Time: 12 pm - 2 pm
SATURDAY, JUNE 20 - FESTIVAL DAY!
Farmers Market Stage (10 am–2 pm)
9:50 am: Scott McGregor (longtime local muralist) shares indigenous story
10:15 am: Muralists speak
11:00 am & 12:30 pm: Walking tours led by PSAA and community member Kris Lillich; meet at the mural info booth
1:30 pm-2:00 pm: Artist Talk with Julia Alexis Hunkler at Northwest Trading Post
2:30 pm: Casual meet up with PSAA and Muralists for drinks/food at Colvin’s Pub & Grill
OTHER ACTIVITIES ON FESTIVAL DAY
Clatskanie Farmer Collective - clatskaniefarmercollective.org
Kids Market
Flower Arrangement Class
Rock Painting
Face Painters
FESTIVAL ARTISTS
HAYDEN SENTER
Hayden was born in 1991 in San Jose, California. Growing up in suburbia, he gravitated toward the overlooked and unexpected, finding inspiration in creek beds, sewers, and abandoned buildings. After high school, he attended California State University, Chico, earning a BFA in Printmaking. His work spans printmaking, painting, and murals, drawing imagery from everyday observations like overgrown alley weeds, corner store walks, and forgotten cars. For the past 7 years, he has collaborated with local businesses and artist organizations on murals of all scales.
Julia Alexis Hunkler
Julia Alexis Hunkler is a Portland-based muralist and fine artist whose large-scale works reclaim beauty in public spaces, weaving community narratives with vibrant, expressive imagery. With murals spanning the Pacific Northwest to the Southeast, her work reflects a deep engagement with place, storytelling, and the transformative power of art.
MATT SCHLOSKY
Matt Schlosky is a Portland-based artist, muralist, caricaturist, and designer whose paintings reflect the world of his subconscious. His work draws inspiration from myth, ancient cultures, tribal art, nature, comic books, Art Nouveau, and graffiti. Born and raised in Rochester, NY, Matt has been creating and flexing his imagination since childhood. In 2001, he earned an American Visions Award in the Scholastic Arts and Writing Competition and a scholarship to the Columbus College of Art and Design, where he graduated in 2005 with a BFA in Industrial Design with a focus in toy design.
FESTIVAL SITES
CHECKMATE PARK
Location: 289 N Nehalem St.
Muralist: Matt Schlosky
ARTIST STATEMENT: This mural features a sassy Steller's Jay perched on a stump in full logging attire, a nod to both Clatskanie's rich timber heritage and one of the Pacific Northwest's most bold and charismatic birds. Known for their striking deep blue and black plumage, Steller's Jays are sassy, intelligent, and fearlessly noisy, making them a fitting symbol for a community with deep roots and a strong character. They are equally at home in the forest canopy and the campground, where they beg brazenly for handouts from anyone willing to share a snack. If you have spent time outdoors in this region, chances are you have already made their acquaintance. Part mascot, part mischief-maker, the Steller's Jay belongs here just as much as the trees it calls home.
CLATSKANIE FARM COLLECTIVE
Location: 80 Art Steele St.
Muralist: Hayden Senter
ARTIST STATEMENT: This mural was created in close collaboration with the owners to find imagery that reflected their values and vision. Together, with muralist Hayden Senter they chose to depict a generous spread of local food across a large wooden table, a celebration of the land, the growers, and the community they nourish. The Clatskanie Food Hub and Farmer Collective is rooted in building a resilient, accessible local food system, connecting over 100 producers to the people of Clatskanie and beyond. The food on display honors the animals, the farmers, and the deeper question of where our nourishment and we as a people come from. The table is a universal symbol of community, gratitude, and our relationship with the land. This mural is an invitation to appreciate that connection.
COLVIN’S PUB & GRILL
Location: 135 N Nehalem St.
Muralist: Matt Schlosky
ARTIST STATEMENT: This mural tells the story of Clatskanie's logging heritage. Featured prominently is Simon Benson, a visionary lumber entrepreneur who pioneered logging railroads and the iconic cigar-shaped log rafts used to transport timber down the Columbia River. Also depicted is the steam donkey, a steam-powered pulley machine that revolutionized how logs were moved and loaded. Alongside it, oxen and wagons represent the earlier methods the steam donkey eventually replaced.
.NW CONNECTION TRADING POST
Location: 275 E Columbia River Hwy.
Muralist: Julia Alexis-Hunkler
ARTIST STATEMENT: Rooted in the landscape of Clatskanie and the wider Pacific Northwest, this mural weaves together native birds, pollinators, berries, flora, and wildflowers into a flowing composition that moves with the seasons. Canopy and understory layers overlap in quiet exchange, something always budding, ripening, decaying, or feeding something else. Vibrant color carries this motion across the wall, bringing brightness to Clatskanie while honoring the rhythm of a landscape we are all part of, where everything is connected.
TURNING POINT COMMUNITY SERVICES CENTER
Location: 220 E Columbia River Hwy
Muralist: Hayden Senter
ARTIST STATEMENT: This mural celebrates the vital work Turning Point provides to the Clatskanie community. At the center of the composition, a house represents Turning Point as a communal gathering place, a sanctuary where anyone can come to eat, rest, and connect. Surrounding it, fresh fruits and vegetables symbolize the open, welcoming spirit of the organization. Together, these elements reflect how essential spaces like this are, and the simple but powerful message that everyone in need is welcome.
CLATSKANIE FARM COLLECTIVE
Location: 80 Art Steele St.
An additional mural was created ahead of the festival by local muralist team Scott and Tracy MacGreggor. Its unveiling will be part of the festival tours
