Nationally recognized teen paints hometown

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, July 28, 2026

A nationally recognized teen artist is leaving her mark on Oak Harbor — literally.

Fifteen-year-old Oak Harbor High School student Olivia Hamm is designing a new downtown mural that reflects her vision of the community she calls home.

Her artistic prowess doesn’t stop there. Hamm recently took first place in her district for the Congressional Art Competition. She was invited to fly to Washington, D.C., where her piece is on display.

Property owners Jim and Carol Woessner selected Hamm after interviewing several artists for the project.

“We felt as though her local connections and her view of the community (…) was one we wanted to share,” Jim Woessner wrote in an email to the News-Times. “The piece asked her to show us what she thinks of when she thinks of our community and we think it’s going to be pretty spectacular.”

Hamm is excited for the opportunity to leave her mark in Oak Harbor.

“I love creating and also love the idea that one of my art pieces can be on display for the whole town to see,” she said. “I feel very grateful for being selected for the mural project. I think it’s a really special opportunity to be able to make such a creative contribution to my community.”

The mural blends familiar Oak Harbor landmarks with symbols of the community’s history, from Navy jets soaring overhead and Deception Pass to oak leaves, Polaroid snapshots of downtown, black mussels honoring Native Americans who harvested local waters and wheat representing early settlers. It also includes a tribute to the missing “Island Spirit” sculpture that once stood downtown.

“When I think of community, I think of people who have something in common that they can really connect to. It can be a place, hobbies or even shared experiences. As long as it keeps people linked, I think it’s a community,” she said.

Hamm expects the project to take about one to two months to complete, though she noted the timeline is difficult to predict because of the mural’s size.

More than anything, she hopes the finished piece resonates with the people who pass by it every day.

“When people look at my mural, I hope they can really feel the spirit of Oak Harbor,” Hamm said.

More than any award or recognition, Hamm hopes the finished mural resonates with the people who pass by it every day.