Annual Banner Project – 2025 – Gallery
Banner Project Gallery
Jude Toler
Kathy McCulloch: Sunrise over the Mountain The sunrises in January looking towards Yachats River Valley from the mouth of the Yachats River can be amazing. This was one of them. As an artist I can never really duplicate Mother Nature’s artistry. But this is my attempt.
L.Lealand: For this year’s theme, “To Be Together in Yachats,” I painted many of the beloved medicinal plants that thrive here along the Oregon coast. These plants are more than companions—they are wise, living beings who have had relationships with people for countless generations. Each one of us, no matter our family origins, is tied to a lineage that is rooted in healing with plants; it is time to remember and rekindle this connection. When we listen, plants speak—offering magic, resilience, and healing. May we come to know them again and protect them, not just as remedies, but as our family.
Lee Haynes
Loren Dickinson
Lori Stevens: I started to paint a Stellar Jay. Then, as I stood on the side of 101 with a sign, it became clear that, this year, I was required to paint relevancy. I was also recently introduced to Marwan Makhoul, a Palestinian poet, who wrote: In order to write a poem That isn’t political, I must listen to the birds And in order to hear the birds, The warplanes must be silent. Dissent and resistance come in many forms. The arts are capable of reaching across divides and with their emotive power and are well suited to foster change. Hence, (beneath the warplanes) yet still the Stellar Jay, a symbol of adaptability, survival, hope and fearlessness joined with what my heart and brush must speak. Thanks for looking and considering.
Lucinda Cross
Maona Urban: Somewhere between thirty-five to forty years we have been vacationing and living in Yachats (living here full time since January 2013). The treasures depicted on this banner are only of a few we collected reminding us of friends here, past, and present, family adventures and how being together in Yachats has enriched our lives.
Melis Gumusoglu
Michael Guerriero: There is salmon in the forest.
Michel Hogan: Shifting sand on the beach Flowing from one tai chi shape to another A dance that captivates a curious blue heron The bird who flies between the earth and spirit realms one breath following an ocean wave. Invites peace to come. Surrendering to ying-yang guidance Balancing and becoming stable Sharing moments with delight Loving life!
Mindy Parsons
Morgen Brodie:To be together in Yachats,” for me, means recognizing that whatever our opinions, beliefs, or priorities, we depend on one another. We are joined by geography and the whims of Mother Nature, and our very existence may rely on our mutual cooperation and altruism. These images are meant to convey, with respect, the beauty and resilience of our diversity.
Peter Stevens
Sally Marie: I just like to play with colors, shapes and textures. I've had no art training at all, yikes!
Sally Pravel: I retired from 32 years as a pre-k teacher, and moved to Yachats the next day. I think my world is viewed through the lens of children's books and illustrations.. I bypass the mundane, and celebrate the magical forces of nature, mystery.. and possibilities yet undiscovered. Yachats is a portal of beauty and nature.. with endless inspiration, of which I feel blessed to be a part.
Teresa Teel: We may not always get along, but we can all agree this is a pretty great place to call home!
Tracie Watson
Victoria Kwasinski: "JOY" I painted this banner in the hopes of bringing joy to all of us in these oftentimes troubled spaces. A favorite quote of mine from Sister Barbara Hance (1928 - 1993) "Show me a day when the world wasn't new."
Amy Palmer
Bob Barett : Stacked one above the other, these simple shapes echo Yachats’ quiet promise: we belong to one another here. The sun stretching across sky and sea holds the breathtaking wonder of an ocean sunset; the arc of a breaching whale slices the turquoise water; rolling foam ties water to sand, and tide-pool treasures invite anyone—local or visitor—to kneel, point, and share their awe. In that layered flow from horizon to shoreline, I hope you feel the theme, “To Be Together in Yachats,” not as a slogan but as the daily rhythm of shared wonder.
Kay Carly : When I create a work of art I try to combine my passion for the natural world and in doing so send a message to convey the importance of preservation. My desire is in some way to touch the soul of the viewer and connect in the commonality of honoring and protecting all life. It seems that in our busy world we seldom have the opportunity for quiet moments. Being in harmony with nature is a good place to do that and just the place to tell some important stories.
Carol Cassidy: Windswept Tree. A person might find themselves on a rocky shore, with boulders so large and rough that it would seem impossible to go any further. However, while resting and reassessing, they might notice the delicate cascades of flowers emerging from the tiniest cracks in the rocks above. And looking further, they might notice how the old tree, shaped and twisted by the wind, has been transformed by its ordeal into an object of great and noble beauty.
Carol Summers
Catherine Carey
Cindy Meier: This will be the sixth year to paint a banner for the Yachats Project. Painting my banner is always a joy and will hopefully bring joy to others. Find joy and happiness wherever you can. Life will have ups and downs, but always worth living.
Corina Lee Ann Rose
David Chamberlin Jr: Maybe you'll like my tsunami wave.
Debbie Aken: The force of the coastal winds shaping the trees and shrubs along the beach has always enthralled me. the negative and positive shapes hat occur from this are stunning. the stand of trees you see in my banner was from a larger group on the south end of Tillicum Beach that I photographed and eventually did a watercolor sketch of years ago. The theme, “Two Be Together in Yachats,” prompted me to think about these stands of trees, many times growing close together, facing the winds of the Pacific Ocean.
Denise Fritsch: This is a first for me, a public banner, painting and acrylic medium. The town banner project inspired me to capture the beauty of the ocean, beaches, gardens, people and pups that I experience everyday and why I am happy to call Yachats home. One sunny afternoon on the 804 trail, I strolled past a plein air artist. I kept going at first but something made me stop and look back. The active waves were beautiful as usual but the artist silhouetted in the bright blue waves made the scene a surprisingly more wonderful moment. I was inspired to capture it as best I could for this banner project. I hope you see and capture your own moments as beautiful memories in Yachats.
Doug-Yunker: Birds Of A Feather Of bosom friends I've had but seven, Despite my years are ripe; I hope they're now enjoying Heaven, Although they're not the type; Nor, candidly, no more am I, Though overdue to die. For looking back, I see that they Were weak and wasteful men; They loved a sultry jest alway, And women now and then. They smoked and gambled, soused and swore, --Yet no one was a bore. 'Tis strange I took to lads like these, On whom the good should frown; Yet all with poetry would please To wash his wassail down; Their temples touched the starry way, But O what feet of clay! Well, all are dust, of fame bereft; They bore a cruel cross, And I, the canny one, am left,-- Yet as I grieve their loss, I deem, because they loved me well, They'll welcome me in Hell. Robert William Service
Gary Hurd
Jamie Kish: Continuing on with my running theme of local marine life and big juicy hearts, this year it was high time to feature one of my favorites- Hermissenda crassicornis, the Thick Horned Nudibranch. These brilliant beings max out around 2 inches, and can be found all up and down the Oregon Coast intertidal zones. I lead tidepool tours for the Cape Perpetua Collaborative, and these vivid sea slugs are a fan favorite sighting every single time! The word nudibranch means "naked gills", and the gills of the Thick Horned Nudibranch are all of the flowing tendrils that extend off the animals back (called cerata). For this piece I used a liquid gold leaf to accent all the cerata of the nudi, and capped off the piece with a sunset gradient heart, as love is the reason for all of this...from the tallest summits to the smallest sea slugs, it's just all love.
Janette Square: What better way to accomplish this year's banner theme "To Be Together In Yachats" than to be sitting on the deck with good friends, sipping a glass of wine and enjoying the sunset! Yachats is a special place and I have made some amazing friends during our 10 years here. There are many activities in and around town, but sometimes just sitting and relaxing with a nice glass of wine and friends is priceless. I chose the characters for my banner based on our "pet" seagulls who enjoy hanging out on our deck. They don't drink much, but they do enjoy a good sunset. They and the mermaid represent the whimsy and the characters of our little Gem of the Oregon Coast. Cheers!
