The Murals
(Click an image to enlarge)

1. “The Slim Princess” by Robert Thomas, John Knowlton and Richard Perkins, 175 East Pine Street, (Fendon’s Furniture, north side, Bank of America parking lot) 2000. This mural depicts Laws, a thriving railroad depot and community, just outside of Bishop circa 1909. The railroad line, called the "Slim Princess" by the local population, was a major transportation resource until Highway 395 was paved and improved. The depot was built in 1883, and served the Owens Valley until April 30, 1959, when the line from Laws to Keeler was abandoned. Laws is now the home of Laws Railroad Museum.

2. “Kittie Lee Inn” by Robert Thomas, John Knowlton and Rich Perkins, Whiskey Creek Restaurant, 524 N. Main Street Bishop, 2000. Renovation by Janet Essley, Jerry Feigner, Pat Metivier, Jean Miller, Don Hopkins, 2007. The Kittie Lee Inn was built in 1924. It was the height of luxury during Hollywood’s heyday, and many celebrities stayed there. During WWII, the dining room was turned into a dorm for military pilots training at Bishop Airport, and later was remodeled into a fine restaurant, The Copper Kettle. The old inn was torn down in 1965, and a series of restaurants have been located in the new building ever since.

3. “Trompe L’oiel Mural,”   462 Rose Street, Studio 27 by Bob Unkrich, Barbel Williams, John Knowlton and David Williams, 1997. This mural was painted to match the windows, awnings and siding of the adjacent building, which now houses Eastern Sierra Realty. Mural Society founder David Williams is pictured as in real life. Repaired and repainted in October of 2004 by friends and volunteers of the Bishop Mural Society, led by Janet Essley;  Karen Smith, Donna Milovich, Barbara Williams, Peggy Feigner, Bette Rae Carro, Robin Giovanine.

4. “The Ernest Kinney Teamster Family Mural” by Robert Thomas, John Knowlton Jenna Morgenstein, Rich Perkins, Tory Michener and J.T. Schmidt, 362 North Main Street, north wall, Union Bank, 1999. This mural is a triptych (three panels in one mural) and incorporates trompe l’oiel decoration to enhance its setting on the building. There are depictions of the 1860 timber operations by the first settlers in the Owens Valley; 22 animal team of horses and mules hauling a generator part to Plant 3 up Bishop Canyon; and pack mules being loaded at the Champion Spark Plug Mine by ore miners.

5. “Bishop Bakery, 1922” 125 N. Main Street, above Bishop Art Supply, by Janet Essley, 1998. Since the 1850’s, Basque sheepherders have trailed their flocks in the area. The shepherds taught their time-honored recipe for a thick-crusted, tasty bread to Bob and Louisa Schoch, the owners of the Bishop Bakery. The original “Sheepherders’ Bread from the Pyrenees country was baked in brick ovens and lasted several weeks without spoiling.

6. “Drain” 400 W. Line St. Window Fair, by John Pugh, 2005.In this controversial piece, an agricultural Shangri La appears as a mural within a mural. This vision of the valley's past derives from old paintings and photos, book descriptions, interviews, and visits to the less effected areas of Owens Valley. Breathing sweet orchard blossoms while gazing at the lush glory of this place 100 years ago, this depiction is not meant to portray a specific vantage point yet rather allow the viewer an ambient experience of the ecology. The protruding drainpipe symbolizes the diversion of water down the LA aqueduct. The odd shape surrounding the pipe is actually a preserved section of the under painting. Written words like 'water' and 'tree' or even 'green' are some of the sketch notes, but historically these are the line items that have virtually disappeared into the drain. 

7. “Young at Heart” by John Pugh, 230 W. Line St., Inyo Mono Title, 2002.
Inscribed with a land title, this layered core sample of Bishop earth represents a sedimentary survey of the town's heritage. Digging down through the bullets, spurs, horseshoes, railroad spikes, rusted water valves, and old keys, we unlock different parts of Bishop's recent history. Following the Bristlecone pine roots we dig deeper: past Paiute arrowheads and beads, through fossilized Mammoth tusks and Saber-tooth skulls. Even lower are fossils of ancient roots, prehistoric leaves and Trilobites; layers from the beginning of our world. Like comparing the thickness of the deed to the land behind it, the European story here is only a chapter of the history book. On the lighter side, a dog named Hunter from the floor above helps to 'ground' this piece as he sniffs the air for a bone, but picks up the scent of an eon

8. “The History of Medicine and the Local Pharmacy” by Philip Slagter, Dwayne’s Friendly Pharmacy, 644 West Line Street, 2003. Five colorful scenes are shown on panels from left to right: 1. Children enjoy a milkshake at the soda fountain; 2. Portrait of long time resident Dr. Robert Denton, who spent most of his life helping others; 3. Traditional medicine from citrus fruits, lythium, digitalis and poppy; 4. Pharmacist George Deibert and his daughter Barbara Chinn; 5. The Bishop Drug Company window, with the artist’s daughter, Dao Slagter, peeking in at the goodies.

9. “Will Rogers in Bishop” by Philip Slagter, Dwayne’s Friendly Pharmacy, 644 West Line Street, West side of Building. 2003. Will Rogers would come to town, visit the children and buy them ice cream at the local pharmacy/soda fountain. Look for amusing details in the group of children and street scene. Our own Shirley Fendon is seen here as a child.

10. “A Dangerous Arrest” by Richard Perkins, John Knowlton, Kathy Sexton, Jenna Morgenstein, Mary Gipson-Knowlton, 207 West Line Street, Bishop Police Station, 2000. This mural shows an “Old West” event that broke the peace and quiet of Bishop on March 10, 1887. Philip Staiger was reported to be drunk and disorderly, threatening a bystander with a gun and resisting arrest.

11. “Celebrating the Sierra” by  Patty Holton, Betty Cameron, Susanne Olson, Margaret Phelps, Sara Steck, Coleen Randolph, Earl Gann, Carolyn Lynch,& Carol Conner-Turner,  10x15’, Bishop Library, 120 Academy Street, 2011. This natural history mural of ceramic tiles and mosaic contains 237 species of flora and fauna dwelling in the Eastern Sierra. Each unique tile was hand sculpted and painted by one of 216 community members in a directed collaboration. The mural is dedicated to the committed volunteers of Inyo County Search and Rescue, in appreciation for their service to the community.

12. “Father Crowley” by John Knowlton, Mary Gipson-Knowlton, Kathy Sexton, Jenna Morgenstein and Pat Morgan, Opposite Joseph’s Bi-Rite Market, north wall of Body and Soul Salon, 2002.  Father John Crowley remains a legendary figure, recognized as the visionary leader who saw the potential for the region, and as a man of faith who dedicated his life to helping its inhabitants. The “Desert Padre” was born in Ireland in 1891. He is shown here with his dog “Tray” and the Model T Ford in which he traveled up to 16 hours a day along the dirt roads from Bishop to Barstow. Each year on opening day of trout season, he blessed fishing equipment. Father Crowley brought national attention to the Owens Valley with an event called “Wedding of the Waters.”  At one point, Fr. Crowley actually locked chief water engineer H.C. Van Norman in a meeting room until the exasperated engineer conceded to requests to build a new dam that would restore water to the impoverished desert.  Crowley Lake was named after him.

13. “Bishop Mining Mural” by Art Mortimer, 13 x 34 ft., acrylic, 2005. California muralist Art Mortimer designed this wall, which was painted in one day by a group of volunteer artists in conjunction with the California Mural Symposium, hosted by the Bishop Mural Society in October of 2005. The centerpiece of the mural is a large map showing some of the now mostly abandoned mines in the mountains around Bishop. On either side of the map are images representing two of the best-known mines: the large Pine Creek Tungsten Mine and the Champion Sparkplug Mine. The Pine Creek mine is now closed, but still exists; the gentleman in the circle image is a former miner who is now the caretaker there and has worked at the mine for over 40 years. The Sparkplug mine once produced the raw material for ceramics used to make spark plug insulators.

14. "The Sunland Orchard circa 1912" by Janet Essley, 789 Home Street, Bishop Nursery, 2005. This  mural depicting the Owens Valley orchards and farm produce spans 8 feet by 30 feet, enhancing the nursery’s indoor space. Starting in the 1870s, early settlers trapped the Owens River to irrigate fields and orchards in the remote valley and created, for a short time, one of the most productive agricultural areas in California. Crate labels commemorate the fruit, vegetable and grain produced in the valley and the annual Harvest Festival.  Natural plants of the landscape look down into the orchards of the Owens Valley. The grain harvest is a deliberate invocation of Monet's haystacks.

15. “4-H Quilt” by Janet Essley, Tri-County Fairgrounds, West side of the Douglas Robinson building, 2001. This mural honors the 4-H children, their activities and the 100-year anniversary of the 4-H club.