"Tune In," UCD Park Center Mural

Photo by Jessica Vollendorf

Plans for the UCD mural project, titled “Tune In,” germinated in November of 2023 and evolved into a collaboration between Tova Tillinghast, UCD Director, and a local artist Jessica Vollendorf. The final product was finished in June of 2024.  The mural aims to not only enhance the outdoor space at UCD’s office in Rheingarten Park in White Salmon but also to raise awareness about native flora and fauna and the beauty and importance of the varied habitats in the Columbia River Gorge. The mural is a testament to the power of art as a catalyst for change and a medium for community engagement and storytelling. Enjoy this timelapse video of the mural project that captures the hard work that went into this creation! 

Through this project, community members, students, and teachers have the opportunity to learn about and appreciate our natural resources in the Columbia River Gorge.   Educational lesson plans and materials are linked below. Nurturing this appreciation and connection to the natural environment fosters a sense of place and stewardship ethic, which is the foundation of responsible land management and intrinsic care for our environment.  This supports UCD’s mission in engaging landowners and land users throughout Skamania and west Klickitat Counties in the conservation, enhancement, and sustainable use of natural resources through voluntary stewardship.  

Jessica Vollendorf in the early stages of the mural

About the Artist, Jessica Vollendorf 

Jessica is a multifaceted artist and designer whose passion for art and the great outdoors seamlessly intertwine. Based in White Salmon, WA, her artistic journey has been shaped by formal training in fine arts and a deep appreciation for plein air painting, which she hones with a local artist group. 

With an extensive portfolio spanning Fortune 100 brands and boutique clients, Jessica has established herself as a versatile visual strategist, adept at inventing, designing, and illustrating captivating brand stories. 

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Jessica’s true passion lies in the harmonious balance between art and the great outdoors. While on a West Coast pilgrimage, she embodied this duality by attending a Northwest agency interview straight from a campground, business casual attire adorned with dirt under her fingernails – a testament to her authentic spirit and unwavering dedication to her craft. 

Jessica’s free time is a symphony of immersion in nature, where she soaks in the intricate details of her surroundings, allowing them to inspire and fuel her next creative endeavor. 

Educational Lesson Plans 

We’ve had over 100 students visit the mural, both during and after its creation, mostly from the elementary school right across the street.  Students often sit in the shade of the trees and learn about the mural’s creation as well as the mountains, plants and wildlife in it.  And then we paint!  The kids do water coloring using coloring sheets created by the artist, adding their own artistic flair and color choices to the same mural design to take home, share and remember.   

With this project, students and community members can learn about a variety of subjects: Art, Natural Sciences, Sense of Place, and Community Engagement.      

Parents, teachers and educators, please feel free to utilize the lesson plans we have put together, here. We also have free coloring pages that you are welcome to use for watercolor pages or coloring with your students. 

The key features of the mural content include: 

Animals 

Pileated woodpecker 

Chinook Salmon 

White-Tailed Deer 

Plants 

Purple grass widow 

Oregon white oak 

Sword Fern 

Pacific dogwood 

Arrowleaf balsamroot 

Conifer trees (Doug fir, Western red cedar, Ponderosa Pine etc.) 

Landscape features 

Oak Savannah  

Basalt cliffs 

Mt. Adams (Pahto) 

Farm fields & Orchards 

White Salmon River (and other rivers like Klickitat or Wind River) 

Forests 

Mt. St. Helens (Loowit) 

Thanks to the Community! 

Jessica and many other painters put in countless hours here, filling in the shapes and colors with over 100 different hand-mixed and created colors, and it’s been an amazing process to watch!  Not only has the artwork been created live, on-site, but community members and visitors to the park walk up, react, explore and enjoy all the details, picking out what they recognize and appreciating the beauty.   

We are grateful for the contributions of several community members, volunteers and organizations involved in supporting this mural (either through donations or in-kind support).  Many thanks to Jessica Vollendorf, the mural artist, for all her time and talent.  

  • Local artists that donated their time and expertise: Nina Buckley, Nikki Gilchrist, Ryann Kivel, Sarah Osborn, Jessica Raddatz, Kristin Anderson, Janet Essley, PJ Portlock, August Portlock, Bethany Keeley, Christine Fisher and CJ DeWaal; 

  • Folks who provided technical input and other in-kind labor, contributions, and support include: Molly Holmlund, Dale Manor, Heidi Schulz, Hootie Boucher, Canyon Boucher, Trevor Jostad, Van Hicks, Charlie Kitchings, Ashley Erdely, Leslie McLain, Carrie Munz, Matt Schroeder, Adrianne Grimm, James Osmolenski, Richard Tillinghast, Che Tillinghast, White Salmon Ace, and Tum-A-Lum 

  • White Salmon Valley School District, for their permission: Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn with support and labor from Jesse Bryan, Edwardo Ornelas and Taylor Wiley; 

  • White Salmon Wildflower Festival and White Salmon Business Alliance, Julie Burgmeier and Tammara Tippel; 

  • White Salmon Lion’s Club and Kevin Callow; 

  • Washington State Conservation Commission; 

  • City of White Salmon and the Community Development Committee, Mayor Marla Keethler, Jim Ransier, Ben Giant and Stephanie Porter; 

  • White Salmon Valley K-8 PTO, with Brynion Berkey, Maliea Yakymi-Gray, and the many teachers already sharing this mural with their students; 

  • And finally, last but not least, Underwood Conservation District’s Hayes Endowment and UCD’s Board of Supervisors, Barbara Bailey, Kris Schaedel, Joe Kear, Valerie Hoy and Rachel Suits. 

Underwood Conservation District