Kealani Yamamoto creates a masterful mural in new YMCA gym that honors her grandfather
On the wall of the new Wenatchee Valley YMCA, a familiar mountain landscape stretches nearly 100 feet wide and 30 feet high.
At first glance, it is a sweeping line drawing of the foothills that surround the Wenatchee Valley. Look a little closer, though, and you’ll find something much more personal: a grandfather teaching his granddaughter to fly fish.
For local artist Kealani “Kea” Paton Yamamoto, the mural is more than a massive work of art. It is a tribute to where she came from, a reflection of what she has overcome, and a reminder of where she is going.
Kea grew up with a grandfather who believed life was meant to be lived outdoors and with plenty of adventure. Ken Paton founded Arlberg Sports in Wenatchee with his wife, Kay, and created countless memories for his grandchildren at the family cabin on Lake Wenatchee—memories affectionately known as “Camp Grandpa.”
To Kea, Ken was the “King of Fun.” So when she began spending countless hours alone on the YMCA wall, painting one line after another, she knew her grandfather would be on her mind.
“I knew I would be thinking of my grandpa often,” Kea said. “I wanted to find a place for him that felt unique to our relationship.” She found that place in the mural.
Near the Mission Ridge microwave tower, Kea recreated a childhood photograph of Ken teaching her how to use a fly rod. Hidden within the vast landscape, the image is now a permanent part of the YMCA—a quiet tribute to the man who taught her one of life’s biggest lessons: chase your dreams, no matter how big they may seem.
That lesson has followed Kea throughout her life.
At 17, she was diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder. After returning to her hometown following treatment, she made the decision to be open about her diagnosis. What she discovered was a gap in community support and a struggle to find a place in the traditional workforce where she felt she could truly thrive.
Eventually, those experiences became the foundation for another dream: Buddies Café. Buddies is a coffee business built around creating meaningful employment opportunities for people of all abilities, including people with visible and invisible disabilities.
Its mission is simple:
Buddies creates opportunities for people of all abilities—including those with visible and invisible disabilities—to live authentically, build confidence, and chase their dreams.
The path from Buddies to the YMCA mural was made possible in part by NCW Arts Alliance Executive Director Callie Baker, who connected Kea with YMCA CEO Dorry Foster. The two quickly discovered that their visions had something important in common.
The new YMCA was designed with the goal of reducing barriers and creating a place where people of all abilities can participate and belong.
And now, in a fitting full-circle moment, Buddies Café will serve coffee inside the same building where Kea’s mural will live for generations.
Creating the mural itself has been an exercise in patience, faith and persistence.
Using Meta Goggles and the Contour app, Kea has painstakingly transferred her original artwork onto the enormous wall, constantly adjusting her position and the digital image to ensure every line falls into place.
Absher Construction crews became an unexpected part of the process, providing a lift and carefully placing plywood to protect the gym floor and upper-level track while she worked.
The scale of the project tested Kea as a self-taught artist. But rather than calculating the countless hours she has spent on the wall, she has chosen not to keep track.
“Calculating the hours, for me, takes away from the experience and the opportunity I have to bring this connection piece to our community,” she said.
Some have asked whether she plans to add color to the landscape. She doesn’t.
For Kea, the simplicity of the line drawing is part of its beauty. Color, she feels, would take away from the story rather than add to it.
Throughout the project, her husband, Cai, has also been a constant source of support as Kea balances her art, her businesses and raising their two young children.
And while the mural may be the most visible representation of her work, Kea hopes its message extends far beyond the wall.
“As someone with an invisible disability, I really enjoy pushing people past their comfort zones,” she said. “That includes our community. I like to think, ‘Yes, we might have a disability or a disorder, but watch what we CAN do!’”
It is a sentiment that feels especially at home inside the YMCA.
Kea credits blind faith with carrying her through the challenges of creating something on such a massive scale. She also carries another lesson from her grandfather—one that has become increasingly meaningful as her life fills with family, work and dreams.
“Life’s too short to be too busy,” Ken used to say. “So why not choose what you’re busy with?” Kea said. “I’ve felt really connected to him in a beautiful way as I’m making this mural.”
Kea doesn’t shy away from talking about her diagnosis. In fact, she has come to see it as part of what has shaped her perspective and her willingness to take on difficult things.
“I think that the gift I’ve been given with my disorder is that I love challenges,” she said. “I think bipolar disorder challenges you every single day, and it’s taught me to live in a rhythm rather than a routine.”
That philosophy is visible in everything she has created—the mural, Buddies Café and the life she continues to build around her family and community.
When visitors walk into the new YMCA, they will see a landscape drawn in thousands of lines. They may notice the foothills first. They may notice the scale.
But if they look closely, they’ll find a grandfather teaching his granddaughter to fly fish.
They’ll find a story about disability, perseverance and belonging.
They’ll find a young girl who was taught to chase big dreams—and the woman who decided to do exactly that.
And somewhere in those mountains, Ken Paton is smiling at what his granddaughter has created.
