Women of Klamath
Alleyway Activation Phase 3
A partnership between Healthy Klamath and Virtuosa Society
The “Women of Klamath”, Alleyway Activation Project Phase 3 was a collaboration between Healthy Klamath and Virtuosa Society to celebrate the women who helped shape the Klamath community into what it is today. The 8 women featured in these beautiful murals were chosen for their impact on the wellbeing and growth of the Klamath Basin over the past 160 years.
“Their collective contributions make up the cornerstones of our community.”
We were elated to see so many people join us for the unveiling ceremony for these murals, including two of the women depicted in The Philanthropists, Jean Pinninger and Joan Staunton. Family members of Janice Lee York Romary, Marie Norris, Nancy Wendt, Jean Pinninger & Joan Staunton were also in attendance, as well as families and friends of the artists.
Special thanks to Rich & Tammy Bogatay for donating the side of their building for the mural installation, and Diversified Contractors, Inc for building the frames and installing the murals. It was such a pleasure collaborating with Healthy Klamath & Kelsey Mueller Wendt on this beautiful project.
The women who answered the call for mural artists come from all walks of life and share a deep appreciation for both the arts and the women honored in this project. Their work is now on display in downtown Klamath Falls.
Thank you to those who came out to celebrate the installation with us! If you have not done so yet, please do take the time to walk downtown, see the art and honor the contribution of these amazing, strong women to our community.
“The Chieftess” - Winema – which means “woman chief” – earned her name in the 1850s when as a teen she saved a canoe full of children from being dashed in strong rapids by steering it to safety. Such deeds continued throughout her life, and her courageous actions as a mediator during the Modoc War brought about lasting peace.
“The Olympian” - Janice-Lee York Romary made history as the first female Olympian to carry the United States flag during an opening ceremony. A decorated foil fencing champion, she competed in six consecutive Olympic Games, and upon retirement from the sport, chose to build both a family and a business in Klamath Falls.
“The President” - Dr. Martha Ann Dow led Oregon Institute of Technology as its first female president between 1998–2007. Dow’s leadership helped the school transition from its vocational roots into the future, shaping the Oregon Renewable Energy Center and the Oregon Center of Health Professions which houses Oregon Tech’s health sciences programs. It was renamed the Martha Anne Dow Center for Health Professions in her honor.
“The Activist” - Marie Norris pursued a life of active service for her Klamath community. In addition to founding the Organization of Forgotten Americans in 1969 to address the effects of tribal termination, Norris was a devoted advocate for Native American culture and was one of the last people able to speak the Klamath language. Oregon Governor Vic Atiyeh declared Norris as one of the most outstanding women in Oregon history.
“The Intrepid Photographer” - Maud Baldwin’s legacy as an intrepid photographer can be seen throughout the murals peppered along our downtown streets, and in the thousands of images she captured of the growth of Klamath County in the early twentieth century, including tribal life, loggers, ranchers, Crater Lake, street scenes, paddlewheel steamboats, school children, wildlife, reclamation projects, and the excitement surrounding the first trains, automobiles and airplanes in Klamath Falls!
“The Philanthropists” - Nancy Wendt, Jean Pinninger and Joan Staunton’s collaborative philanthropic work help sustain and grow many of the community assets we all enjoy today. Together, they raised millions to support the Ross Ragland Theater, Klamath Community College, The YMCA, Mike’s Field House, The Martha Anne Dow Center for Health Professions, the Sky Lakes Cancer Treatment Center, The United Way, and more.
The Alleyway Activation Project was started in 2022 and since then, Healthy Klamath has been able to install 8 beautiful pieces of art on the exterior wall of a building downtown thanks to the AARP 2022 Community Challenge grant.
The Alleyway Activation Project is designed to beautify our alleyways in the downtown corridor of Klamath Falls. Recruiting from our abundantly creative regional community, a selected artist’s work will be mounted to one of the historical buildings off the main street. This is an opportunity to be a part of the effort to make Klamath Falls a livelier and beautiful place.
If you take the time to take a photo with the murals that are currently up please tag us on your Instagram. @Healthyklamath
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