COTTAGE GROVE – Mayor Candace Solesbee announced Monday night that an unveiling of a mural gifted by The WallDogs will take place this Friday at noon behind Little Caesars.
The WallDogs are a group of worldwide recognized artists who take over one city per year. The highly skilled sign painters and mural artists from around the world restore and create historic artwork. Recent projects by The WallDogs have been done in Illinois, New Hampshire, and Indiana.
Cottage Grove will be just the third West Coast town the group has visited. In the summer of 2027, around 300 artists will come to town and paint 15 murals in four days. Ahead of their visit to CG, Solesbee said the Portland group of The Walldogs donated a mural to the city.
“The City of Cottage Grove is incredibly fortunate to be gifted a beautiful mural from the Portland group that has joined the WallDogs. It’s a group of 30 artists, and they painted a teaser mural for us, and it was absolutely free,” she said.
Solesbee explained that the city paid only for the supplies; the group even delivered the painting themself.
“I don’t believe that’s ever been done in the history of WallDogs, that they have just come together on their own and gifted it to a city,” she said. “They’re so excited about coming to Cottage Grove.”
Their contribution gives residents and visitors a first glimpse of the creativity, collaboration, and community pride that will lead up to the 2027 event, Solesbee wrote in a press release. The teaser mural marks the beginning of a larger effort to celebrate Cottage Grove’s history, strengthen local connections, and create a lasting cultural destination for residents and visitors alike.
City Manager Mike Sauerwein had to go through the routine process of obtaining a sign permit for the mural, which will already be hung up but covered until the unveiling. Folks can stop by the viewing area at 926 E. Main Street at noon this Friday or any time after to catch a glimpse of the gifted mural.
“It’s amazing; Cottage Grove has some good karma coming our way right now,” Solesbee said.
