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Explore Lincoln City Unveils New Mural Celebrating Iconic Kite Festival “Magic of Oregon” collaboration with Travel Oregon establishes mural as part of Oregon Mural Trail; ribbon-cutting event set for September 6
LINCOLN CITY, Ore. (August 26, 2024) – Explore Lincoln City is excited to unveil the installation of a playful new mural titled, “The Magic of the Lincoln City Kite Festival.” This stunning artwork, set to be
honored with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, September 6, is the newest addition to the Oregon Mural Trail created by Travel Oregon.
The Lincoln City mural, a collaboration with Travel Oregon that marks the 10th such installation in the Oregon Mural Trail, features a still image from the whimsical “Oregon, Only Slightly Exaggerated” campaign created by award-winning creative agency Wieden + Kennedy in 2021. The mural will also now become part of the Lincoln City Art Trail. The mural site is a half-mile from the Lincoln City Kite Festival grounds at D River State Recreation Site, where the event takes place twice a year, in summer and fall. The ribbon-cutting will kick off Lincoln City’s Fall Kite Festival, which takes place the weekend of September 7-8, 2024, from 10am-4pm, in Lincoln City.
Painted by Oregon artists Jeremy Nichols and Blaine Fontana, the kite festival mural adorns the exterior walls of Lincoln City’s City Hall and McKay’s Market, which faces Highway 101 (801 SW Highway 101, Lincoln City, OR). The artists have worked on other murals in the Oregon Mural Trail; Fontana worked on the mural in The Dalles, and Nichols painted the mural for both Yachats and Pendleton.
“We’re thrilled to bring a piece of Oregon’s imaginative tourism campaign, ‘Oregon, Only Slightly Exaggerated,’ to Lincoln City," said Kim Cooper Findling, Explore Lincoln City Director. “Created in partnership with Travel Oregon, the mural celebrates our popular Kite Festivals while also establishing Lincoln City as the 10th destination on the statewide Oregon Mural Trail. Public art is a priority for us, and we’re honored for the opportunity to showcase our region through this enchanting medium to both visitors and local residents.”
The mural is based on a still from the animated “Oregon, Still Only Slightly Exaggerated” video campaign, which departed from the typical scenic imagery commonly used in tourism marketing. Instead, Wieden + Kennedy utilized delightful, technicolor animation to evoke what photography sometimes cannot — the magical feeling of being in Oregon. The 90-second animated video employs a range of animation and illustration styles, and features an original score from Emmy-winning composer Jim Dooley, performed by the Oregon Symphony.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Friday, September 6, 2024, at noon at the mural site (801 SW Highway 101 in Lincoln City). The event will feature professional kite flyers demonstrating their skills, and attendance by Travel Oregon staff, elected officials and other dignitaries. A free shuttle service for those who want to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony will be provided from Chinook Winds Casino to McKay’s Market from 11am - 2pm.
For high-res images and video see here (Credit - Explore Lincoln City):
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pwkXABgGF4XpLnifPiApdGccmcw6dipm?usp=share_link
About Explore Lincoln City
Located less than two hours from Portland, the scenic community of Lincoln City is home to six historic districts and seven miles of pristine, walkable beaches along Oregon’s central coast. The laid-back beach town boasts evergreen forests, clean air and a large freshwater lake along with a variety of shopping, dining and popular attractions. With everything from colorful kite festivals to fresh catch feasts to hand-blown glass floats, Lincoln City is one endless adventure. Explore Lincoln City promotes tourism in the Lincoln City area and helps strengthen the local economy as the trusted destination and trip planning resource. For more information, visit: explorelincolncity.com.
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