Bringing nature-inspired community art to Tonasket has become an utterly delightful and rewarding way to build connections between people and between people and nature in our area. The Okanogan Highlands offers endless scenery, habitats, flora, and fauna to inspire curiosity, creativity, pride, appreciation, and a deep sense of place in all who live here or visit. Over the years artists, community volunteers, local businesses, and funders have contributed to the effort to bring bright, beautiful artwork — glimpses of the Okanogan Highlands — to Tonasket, in a shared effort that beautifies and vitalizes our town.
Project Snapshot:
OHA’s public art adventures began in 2012, when, to celebrate OHA’s 20th anniversary, we commissioned Andy Eccleshall, of Mural Works, Inc. to paint mountains, forests, wetlands, and native flora and fauna of the Okanogan Highlands on the Community Cultural Center in downtown Tonasket.
In 2021 and 2022 (OHA’s 30th anniversary), Andy Eccleshall returned to paint three more murals in Tonasket!
In 2024 and 2025 four more artworks have been installed by: Gabriele Beyer, Claudia Makeyev, Mosaic Mania, and Sarah Gilman.
Thanks to the artists’ creativity and hard work, art hosts (City of Tonasket and local businesses), and funders (both individuals and organizations), Tonasket is looking more bright and beautiful than ever. OHA’s hope is that appreciation for natural history will continue to resonate throughout the community, bringing smiles to faces, and inspiring connections to and appreciation for the natural world around us.
To learn more about each mural, click on the buttons below!
If you are interested in being a part of this project by: volunteering, donating, offering space to host art, or proposing an art project, send us an email: info at okanoganhighlands dot org