Rock Snake: A Growing Symbol of Tualatin
With a little creativity and a community vision, a local women’s group is adding a colorful new twist to Tualatin – a community “rock snake” named Cleopatra.
When looking for painting inspiration, the local group called the “Coffee and Conversation Gals” discovered photographs of rock snakes created in communities across the country. The concept was simple: paint a large rock to serve as a snake’s head, then invite community members to contribute their own creative nuggets.
The next step was approaching Tualatin Parks and Recreation Director Dustin Schull for, well, direction. Tualatin has recently seen a growing love affair with artistic rocks in its parks, as chronicled online on the Facebook page “Tualatin Rocks.” Schull recommended beginning with 100 rocks, giving the project plenty of room to grow.
During an inaugural painting session, members brought rocks they had painted over time. Designed by Angie Winkowski and Carolyn Kerr, the shape of the “head stone” gave it a distinctive look, generating the snake’s Egypt-inspired name.
A location was chosen and cleared behind L.A. Fitness along the Tualatin Greenway Trail, and the ladies hauled down what felt like hundreds of pounds of rocks. Soon, Cleopatra began to take shape. The Gals offered to monitor and market the project while keeping the area tidy.
Schull has committed the park site to the project long term: “The rock snake will stay in its current location for the foreseeable future,” he said.
Cleopatra is an opportunity to encourage artistic expression and an invitation to enjoy local trails and parks while strengthening community connections.
Unfortunately, Cleopatra’s original head was taken soon after installation but was swiftly replaced by a local resident, a reminder that Cleopatra was becoming something people cared about and wanted to help preserve. Sadly, the replacement head has since disappeared as well, says Coffee Gal Cathy Christensen. There’s no plan for replacement, as yet, but they’d love to have it back.
“People are more than welcome to view, pick up/look at the rocks, but please put them back for everyone to enjoy,” she said. “Everyone is welcome to add their own painted rocks or unique items left there.”
Head or no head, the Coffee and Conversation Gals have an ambitious goal: to help Cleopatra become the longest rock snake in Oregon.
Everyone is invited to help it happen. Visit Cleopatra along the Tualatin Greenway Trail, enjoy the colorful collection, and consider bringing a painted rock to add to the line. Whether the design is elaborate or simple, every rock has a place.
