A MURAL That arouses the senses
TOLEDO, Oregon
Oregon Artist Emma Berger has created a delightful new mural for the City of Toledo. It is a special ‘Sensory or Tactile’ Mural, with textured 3D elements that can be seen, as well as touched. The mural adorns Toledo’s Public Library and highlights the natural beauty of Toledo and the surrounding area. The mural features the Yaquina River, trees and plants and local wildlife including a heron, harbor seal, salmon, and a perfectly perched goldfinch.
To prepare for the mural, Emma sketched out different elements in mortar and carefully crafted texture for certain objects. For the leaves, Emma took casts of real native plants from the Toledo area and transferred them to the wall. Other tactile elements include rocks along the shore, bark on trees, fuzzy blooms on flowers, and the feathers of a heron.
“For this mural, I took inspiration from the Yaquina River that stretches between Toledo and Newport, Oregon. It is a picturesque stretch of landscape, lush with wildlife. The plants and animals pictured are all native to the area or inspired from native plants. I like to think it’s a view of a perfect moment on the river. This mural is also a sensory mural, meaning I incorporated 3D elements so that the library patrons and children who visit can feel the rocks, the tree bark, and the imprints of plants.” – Emma Berger, Muralist
This mural is part of PSAA’s larger regional initiative to bring more public art to cities and small towns across Oregon. Thank you Art Toledo and the City of Toledo Oregon for this opportunity.
“Bringing a tactile mural to rural communities fosters connection, inclusivity, and pride. It allows everyone, including those with visual impairments, to engage with art personally and in an immersive way. Art Toledo hopes this project can strengthen community bonds and ensure that the joy of art is accessible to all. It's a testament to art's transformative power, honoring the character of the community.” – Lisa Figueroa, Art Toldeo
ABOUT EMMA BERGER
Born on the Northern California coast, Artist Emma Berger attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. After leaving the west coast for school, Emma decided to locate in Portland, Oregon.
Emma is an illustrator, tattoo artist, and muralist who also has done set design and backgrounds for stop animation movies with famous Laika Studios in Portland. She has created multiple murals around the Portland area and enjoys painting imaginary gardens and other leafy friends.
ABOUT ART TOLEDO
The City of Toledo, Oregon has recently launched the Arts Revitalization of Toledo (ART) initiative. The goals for this initiative are to energize Main Street and the business district with an art-centric focus and to celebrate our City’s industry and history – to the end of enticing more visitors from the coast to travel the eight miles east to experience Toledo, as well as engaging and energizing local residents.
ART Committee members include: the Timbers Restaurant and Lounge; Crow’s Nest Gallery; Port of Toledo; the Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County; Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society; Yaquina River Museum of Art; Oregon Coast Visitors Association, local artists; Toledo High School; Bank of the West, members of the community, and more.