Cottage Grove

Color Their World’ Tie-dye creations to be on display, for bid at Mining Days

Mind engaged with matter – fresh tie-dye waiting to set at the Color Their World event last weekend at Coiner Park. Dana Merryday/The Creswell Chronicle

Bohemia Mining Days board members and volunteers last weekend worked with retired hotel bed sheets and encouraged the public to create mind-expanding creations at Coiner Park. The ”Color Their World” tie-dye event was truly a mind-opener.
Families were encouraged to help make some of the tapestries and shirts for the BMD upcoming event and to bring clothes of their own. All proceeds will benefit the Kid Zone activities during BMD.
But it also served as a therapeutic experience for participants. ”Tie-dye puts your mind in a space where it is open and receptive to opportunity,” said Misty Burris, BMD secretary and Kid Zone visionary.
Burris described the therapeutic value of the art of folding and twisting cloth into patterns, then selecting from a palate of over 30 different colors of dyes to create your own beautiful tie-dye. South Lane Mental Health has encouraged this therapy and has funded the purchase of the dyes and supplies for the last two years.
The art of the fold will give you the design that will emerge. The colors you select and how you place them, overlap them, and the amount of dye all interact to give your creation its unique outcome.
No matter how many times you have done it, the thrill of finally opening up your cured tie-dye and seeing how it turns out never grows old. There is always the quality of an unknown outcome when you tie-dye and the irregularity of the dye splotches have a very pleasing quality.
It was all fun but sometimes pulled people out of their comfort zone. ”They were afraid they might mess up their dye, like that was possible,” said Burris. But the process really boosts thought and imagination, so it’s all good.
If you missed the tie-dye event last weekend, you still have the opportunity to see the results at the BMD Kid Zone July 18 through 20. It will be a perfect place to relax with the young ones for a spell, and if one of the tapestries catches your eye, bid high and take it home with you.
”We will be creating a wall of tie-dyed tapestries big enough to enclose the 7,000-square-foot Kid Zone at BMD,” Cathy Simmons, BMD board president said. Organizations and individuals who create these works of art will have their names and artwork visions attached to their tapestry. These will be sold via a silent auction. ”Last year, all of them sold out,” she said. Also at BMD, will be a ”People’s Choice Award” for the tapestry that captures the most visitors’ votes. These designs don the BMD logo and will be available for purchase.
Each year a different nonprofit takes a turn populating the Kid Zone, and this year it is Singing Creek Educational Center. Their mission is to inspire children and families toward an appreciation of local history through hands-on learning. What could be a more perfect fit for a celebration of local history than that? Singing Creek will also be offering several camps for children 6 to 10 years old.
High school volunteers who help run the BMD activities will receive a BMD tie-dye as a ”thank you.” By the way, there are still some slots for high school age youth to get involved and become a part of this community tradition.
I wonder what the miners would think about seeing all of these rainbow colors instead the glint of gold…

Dana Merrday is a Chronicle columnist for Through the Grove-Vine and can be reached at 541-942-7037, 205 Adams Ave. and [email protected].

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