By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer

The mural project now underway, paid for by the Crestline-Lake Gregory Chamber of Commerce with bed tax funds to be used to promote tourism, will be used to promote places of interest for visitors, since the annual Corks & Hops and Jamboree Days could not occur this year due to the cancellation of events caused by the pandemic.

The first of those murals was started last week and is now completed on the west wall of the Liberation Therapy building. Genesis Murals is painting the murals for the community.

The mural is in the classic National Park poster style. It shows a hiker going down a trail into the woods, with the crossroads sign pointing to Heart Rock, Silverwood Lake and Lake Gregory. The mural is about 25 feet tall and 40 feet wide and easily visible while driving down Lake Drive and from the Higher Grounds Coffee House patio, which is next door.

There are six more murals under consideration by the chamber to be added under this community beautification project. Crestline-Lake Gregory Chamber President Louis Boehle said the next mural should be painted on the recently sandblasted wall under Lake Mud Pottery, facing the Mountain Pawn Shop. There had previously been a mural of a lake scene painted over a real estate company logo after the real estate company relocated.

Some of the topics Boehle said were under consideration for murals are hang-gliding and paragliding; Lake Gregory water fun, such as kayaking and fishing; and other forest-related activities.

“We hope to promote the idea that Crestline is a place to visit and have fun enjoying nature and our community,” Boehle said.

The next mural is in the final design stage for that wall and may feature several mountain bike riders. The wall is textured, so painting it is more complex than on a flat wall. That mural should be started in about two weeks, after it is fully approved.

Wes Abarca of Genesis Murals says the spray paint technique used by Genesis should work well on the multi-layered, textured surfaces of that wall but, since it is viewed from several angles while driving down the street, it must be touched up carefully so the picture looks good as people drive past from the various angles from both directions.

Abarca just returned from a national mural conference, where such sight issues were covered. He and his company also just completed the three huge murals at Rim High School, where he and his crew spent many hours on a power lift many stories up in the air. Perception when that close to a huge art project is different than when it is viewed from the ground, which must be considered when designing and painting such large format projects. He had painted numerous murals before arriving in the mountains and has done several at the Lake Gregory Education and Community Center and did the mural on Rim Bowling and Entertainment Center.

Other locations in town being considered for murals include redoing the mural at 7-Eleven and a wall or two in the Top Town area. If you own a building that could host a mural, let the Crestline-Lake Gregory Chamber of Commerce office know by calling (909) 338-2706, stop by their office on the north side of Lake Gregory at 24385 Lake Drive for the details or email them at [email protected]

After the murals are completed in the spring, a brochure will be printed, designed to hand out to visitors so they can tour around Crestline to see the murals and other various points of interest in the community.

It is hoped that next year those who attend the Corks & Hops, Jamboree Days, Fall Festival and other events are impressed by the new community art and tell their friends it is worthy to come to see for themselves. The Crestline chamber is trying to make Crestline a fun vacation destination and a community that residents can be proud to call home. See their website at www.crestlinechamber.org for other events that the chamber hosts throughout the year.