Hood River Artist Leads Skateboard Design Workshop for Teens at The Dalles Library
By Joshuah Albert
The Dalles, Ore., July 24, 2024 — Michelle Yamamoto, owner of the 301 Gallery in Hood River, led a workshop at The Dalles Library where local teens designed and built their own skateboards.
Teens hand-paint their skateboard designs on their decks.
“There is some real talent here. I’m surprised how well most of these turned out,” Yamamoto said. “I used to be a skateboarder; my family owned a skatepark when I was a teenager, and I would go there all the time. That's why I like putting on workshops like these because it gets people who are normally not into art to come and try it.”
Yamamoto encouraged the teens, saying, “Keep drawing and making mistakes because mistakes are how you learn.”
The workshop saw a good turnout, about a dozen teens completed their boards.
Keep an eye out for this fast-moving art at the state park — you might catch one of these newly designed skateboards and their creators ollieing the bowl.