Blue Valley Bistro to unveil McKenzie Allison mural

Since 2010, when Seth and Melissa Clark bought the Blue Valley Bistro – formerly Creswell Coffee Co. and thought of as “Creswell’s living room” – the community-minded couple has used the shop’s walls and environment to showcase local creativity.
On Friday, Aug. 23, before an evening of music with Bistro regulars RichieG and MA Beat, the BVB will unveil the long-anticipated mural, “Rising,” by Noti artist, McKenzie Allison. The mural has been taking shape in the back of the Bistro since February. Allison will be present to share her finished work and process.
“Rising” bubbled out of a casual conversation between the Clarks, who wanted to show their ongoing commitment to Creswell as they began preparations to open a second BVB in Coburg this fall. The Coburg décor will include furniture and a handcrafted bar by artisans using slab wood from locally milled trees, and the Clarks wanted to add more art to the ambiance of their flagship Bistro.
Serendipity became reality when they mentioned the idea to Samantha Lynn-Metz, a regular at the Bistro; she suggested they speak with an artist friend of hers, McKenzie Allison. After a sit-down between Melissa (Clark) and McKenzie, a casual agreement to paint a scene of the outdoors was made.
Soon after, the Noti artist began work on the back wall of BVB, and during the past six months, a modernistic grid of lines and geometric shapes has evolved into a stylized mountain landscape one might see looking out from a tent while camping in Oregon’s great outdoors.
Allison, who has a modest but expanding list of creative achievements, has worked steadily on the piece during weekends and evenings when she could find time from her day job as a production team lead in Market of Choice’s central kitchen, and the steady progress has brought a sense of anticipation and excitement to patrons of the Bistro who have seen the piece evolve.