Local artist honors victim of Parkland, FL school shooting with mural

There’s a brand-new mural in Ashland, with a heartfelt meaning behind it.

Cate Battles is a local artist out of Grants Pass. She’s said while she was working on another mural in Grants Pass, she was approached by a couple. That couple turned out to be Andrew and Julie Pollack, the parents of Meadow Pollack. Meadow was one of 17 people killed in the Parkland, Florida high school shooting, in 2018. The Pollack’s asked Battles to create a mural in Meadow’s honor, celebrating children and Judaism.

“I thought her name was Meadow Pollack and I love the Ashland meadows on Mount Ashland, so I figured that was the great tie in there. I wanted it to celebrate happy children and native flowers and peace, and I wanted to do something that honored her legacy and something that children here would love too,” Battle said.

She said it took her six days to finish, with the final product done on Thursday. She now plans to contact the Pollack’s and have them come to see the mural in person. It’s located at the Chabad Jewish Center of Southern Oregon at 1474 Siskiyou BLVD, in Ashland.