City News

Cherry mural proposed for NE Salem warehouse

A fruit warehouse in northeast Salem could soon be home to a mural celebrating maraschino cherries.

Salem’s Public Art Commission will hold a public hearing on the mural proposed for the Oregon Cherry Growers facility at 1520 Woodrow St. N.E. later this month, according to a hearing notice.

The mural depicts a grove of trees with a river running through the center and baskets of cherries on either side. The center of the mural features a large pair of cherries and reads “Maraschino Cherries” in large letters, under the name of Pacific Coast Producers, the parent company.

“This proposal is for a mural that illustrates the rich history of Oregon cherry growers by celebrating local farms, fruit production, and packaging. The mural hopes to honor the history of Salem and pay homage to Salem’s ‘Cherry City’ namesake,” a description in the hearing notice says.

If the public art commission approves the mural, the artist can begin work immediately, said Keith Bondaug-Winn, a management analyst in the city’s public works department. He said the artist intends to begin work right away if the mural is approved and finish the mural the first week of October to beat the fall rains.

The hearing will be held virtually on Monday, Sept. 26 at 9:30 a.m. Members of the public may submit written comments by Thursday, Sept. 22 at 5 p.m. to [email protected], or request to attend the meeting and provide comment live.

Anyone may watch the public hearing live on the city’s YouTube page.

Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.

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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.