Public invited to Warm Springs basketball court mural dedication

WARM SPRINGS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Warm Springs Community Action Team (WSCAT) and Papalaxsimisha, two community-based organizations on the Warm Springs Reservation, are pleased to announce the completion of their Oregon Community Foundation-funded “Art and Basketball Youth Project,” led by Warm Springs artist Charlene Dimmick and youth artists of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.

We are proud to dedicate the court on the corner of Warm Springs Street and Paiute Avenue in Warm Springs at a community event on Sunday, Oct. 31, starting at 12 p.m.

The mural was designed by Ms. Dimmick, with support from WSCAT’s Mallory Smith, the Art and Basketball Youth project manager, and Papalaxsimisha’s Jaylyn Suppah and Jillisa Suppah.

Five Warm Springs youth painted their own murals and will work alongside Charlene and other community members on the basketball court mural as part of a community placemaking project designed to give young people tools and inspiration to build the community they envision.

The court mural revitalizes a shared, critical part of the Warm Springs “Agency” Campus, and invites our tribal community and Central Oregon neighbors to celebrate Native arts and a shared passion for basketball in a newly-rededicated community space.

FEATURED ARTIST:

Charlene 'Tillie' Dimmick is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (CTWS) but is also Paiute, Miwok, Modoc and Yakama. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Art and Architecture at the University of Oregon and a Master’s in Social Work Degree at Portland State University. Tillie has worked for the CTWS for eleven years, but has dreams of starting her own business. Tillie loves to create a wide range of art and also finds joy in teaching to anyone who wants to learn.

ABOUT WSCAT:

Since 2001, the Warm Springs Community Action Team, a grassroots, community-based nonprofit organization, has worked closely with Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (CTWS) leaders and tribal members to foster community development through a wide range of programs for youth, adults, and families. WSCAT hosts summer youth training; employs youth/young adults in its coffee shop and food cart, and works with hundreds of tribal households each year through workforce training, asset building (IDAs), small business promotion, financial and homeownership education and counseling, tax assistance, and education.  WSCAT is also the founder of Tananáwit, a 180-member nonprofit serving community artists and artist-entrepreneurs, and has managed 2 previous mural arts projects in Warm Springs. https://wscat.org

ABOUT PAPALAXSIMISHA:

The Papalaxsimisha program focuses on supporting indigenous students and their families through a multi-generational holistic restorative approach through their educational journey using culturally-based practices. The foundation of our programming is grounded in the acknowledgement and awareness of historical trauma and healing. https://www.facebook.com/papalaxsimisha/