Day Four: Wrapping it Up with Public Art

Getting tired now. Two days in Vegas is too many; 4 days is excruciating. And although there are meetings scheduled for the rest of the day, Eloise and I have RACC to get back to, so we took the 2:00 flight home. But before we left, we were treated to the annual review of Public Artworks. Each year, two artists review over 200 submissions of public artworks completed in the past year, and pick 20 favorites each. This year’s “curators” for the collection were Miwon Kwon and former Portland resident and public artist Larry Kirkland.

About half of the 40 artworks that were highlighted at this event were truly fascinating to me.
I've got to find my notes and scour the internet for some pictures to post here; unfortunately AFTA's CD Rom with images of all of this year's winners costs a hundred bucks. No thanks. But a complete text listing of the 40 projects, including some good budget info, can be found here.

Ed Carpenter's kinetic metal sculpture at PSU was also selected as one of the best of 2006. (The only project in Oregon sited, but there were at least half a dozen from the state of Washington.)



I was pleased to meet Larry Kirkland after his presentation when Eloise and I shared a cab with him to the airport. Larry moved to Washington DC a few years ago, but his works in Portland include several pieces in the Central Library installed in 1997 including the very popular and extremely beautiful "Garden Stair."




Also at the library is this gem (but lesser-seen work) of Kirkland's: Garden Wreath.



Kirkland's "Story Garden" is a two-dimensional maze with pathways of images and words was designed for Tom McCall Waterfront Park in 1993. The piece was displaced by other construction in the park last year, and is currently the process of being re-sited. Got any great ideas where to put it??