These Origami Wall sculptures are on display at the International District/Chinatown light rail station in Seattle, Washington. The nine 14 x 14-foot painted aluminum sculptures show the steps of the origami folding process. You start at either end and in the center you’ll find two completed pieces; one of a man and one of a woman. These pieces were created by Sonya Ishii in 1990.
There are several wooden benches for you to sit on while waiting for the next train. Trains run every four to fifteen minutes, depending on the time of day.
Here’s a closer look at the Origami Wall sculptures.
These two well-loved camels are at Volunteer Park in Seattle. Numerous children have climbed onto these large sculptures. Though they may not remember what was inside the museum, they likely have fond memories of their time spent sitting atop these large sculptures. The two camel sculptures flank the doors of the Seattle Asian Art Museum, formerly the Seattle Art Museum (SAM).
Of the nearly 24,000 objects in SAM’s collection, two sculptures have probably had the broadest impact on visitors’ experience of the museum since it opened in 1933.
The original marble camels were created in the late 14th-mid 17th century in China. Due to conservation concerns, in 1991 the originals were moved inside SAM. Today, the well-loved camels outside the Seattle Asian Art Museum are replicas.
Here is a 1933 picture of the Art Deco-style building that shows two camel and two ram sculptures in front of the museum.
This outdoor art by OMSI is on Southeast Water Avenue in Portland, Oregon. The mural is right across the street from the main entrance of OMSI, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
I believe the mural artist is Mario De Leon. The mural appears to include elements of Egyptian art, Aztec symbolism, and Black history.
The bird sculpture, Migrations, was created in a collaborative process by several people. These include: artist Olivia Guethling, Engineer Trevor Blackann, GuildWorks Founder & Principal Mar Ricketts, and many others. To read more about the creation of this piece, see Migrations: A Long Way From Home.
There are lots of amazing things to see inside the museum, but this outdoor art by OMSI was an unexpected treasure.
These quirky sculptures are at Lassen RV Park Campground in McArthur, California. Their website describes the artwork as follows:
More than just a hub for relaxation and recreation, we’ve transformed our campground into a living canvas that celebrates the intertwining of art and the natural world.
The first collection shows painted wood creatures.
The second collection shows various mushroom sculptures.
There were also sculptures featuring recycled items.
To see photos of even more of their quirky sculptures and outdoor art, see this gallery.
This sculpture of four lounging lions is at the Oregon Zoo in Portland. The ‘Lunch Break’ brown bronze sculptures were created by Jim Gion and put on display at the zoo in 2009.
On the day I was there, there weren’t many visitors because it was pouring down rain. On a more typical day, children would be having fun climbing all over the sculptures. See the video below.
I decided to post this today because I included posts with one, two, and three main subjects earlier this week. My photo shows four lions, but, as you can see in the video, there are two additional cubs.
This bronze mountain goat sculpture shows an adult goat with a kid on its back. This piece was created by Pete Helzer and installed at the Oregon Zoo in 1998.
You can see real mountain goats at a nearby enclosure.
This bronze heron sculpture is in Barclay Park in Sisters Oregon. Artist Danae Bennett Miller uses the lost wax method in her castings. This piece was installed in December 2012.
I saw this bear having fun sculpture at the Oregon Zoo in Portland last spring. The artist did a great job of capturing a moment of a bear just doing what bears like to do.
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Since the temperature reached 102.4 degrees Fahrenheit at my house yesterday, I thought back to the cool day I saw this otter sculpture in snow. This bronze sculpture titled “Otter” was created by Ann Bannard. It was installed in Riverbend Community Park in 2009.
The Bend Park and Recreation District office is located behind the otter sculpture. To the left of the building, you can see a sculpture of kayaks. It’s one of my favorites here in Bend and I featured a closer view of it in a previous post.
This chiwen roof decoration is at Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon.
These dragons, placed on both ends of roof ridgelines, are thought to protect the inhabitants from fires. Fengshui theory says they also protect against floods and typhoons. Chiwen translates to ‘hornless-dragon mouth.’ This dragon likes to swallow things, including evil influences.
I recently saw this white sturgeon sculpture at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon. They are the largest freshwater fish in North America.
A couple months later, I watched these white sturgeon swimming around at the Oregon Zoo. These fish were three or four feet long, but this species can reach lengths of over 14 feet and weigh more than 1,500 pounds. Sturgeon can live more than 100 years.
Here in Oregon, white sturgeon live mainly in large freshwater streams and estuaries along the coast. They occasionally travel into the ocean.
Here is a picture of a much younger white sturgeon taken at the High Desert Museum several years ago. I wouldn’t mind having a sturgeon sculpture of this size fish. The other fish pictured are trout.
This lion at Portland Japanese Garden was guarding the entrance to the gardens. This statue shows a female with a lion cub under her paw. These statues represent protection and compassion.
They are known as komainu in Japan. In other parts of the world they may be called Fu Dogs or Foo Dogs.
The Garden of Surging Waves is located in Astoria, Oregon. The city was founded in 1811 and this garden was a gift to celebrate the city’s 200th anniversary. The Chinese were an important part of Astoria’s history. At one time, 22% of the city’s population was Chinese. In the Pacific Northwest, Chinese were instrumental in the cannery, logging, mining, and railroad construction industries.
I’m starting with a circular mosaic of three sturgeon. It was my favorite artwork there.
This is part of the Pavilion of Transition, pictured below. The fish theme is repeated in the circular lantern hanging above the mosaic. Nine salmon swim around its perimeter.
The pavilion has eight columns with dragons carved into each. The squares, circles, and even and odd numbers in this garden represent elements of Yin and Yang.
This osprey & fish sculpture is at the north end of the Old Mill District shopping mall in Bend. When I walked by it recently, ice covering most of the pond made it stand out.
Here’s a more distant view that includes the two flag bridges. They change the color of the flags on these bridges to celebrate holidays and events.
There’s an osprey nest just north of here, right next to the Bend Whitewater Park. I bet the local birds would love to catch two fish at once, as portrayed in this sculpture.
This snowy bear sculpture is located on the east side of Bend, Oregon. It’s part of our privately funded roundabout art collection. Art in Public Places has helped fund art in over 20 of our 51 traffic roundabouts.
I’ve been waiting for snow to fall here in Bend to photograph this sculpture. Can you see why I liked showing it as a snowy bear?
Grizzly was created by Montana-based artist Sherry Sander in 2001.
This sculpture is a block away from Bend High School. The mythical lava bear is their mascot.
Here’s one more photo, taken a month later, showing more snow covering the statue.
To see some of Bend’s horse-related sculptures in roundabouts and elsewhere, see my Outdoor Horse Sculptures post.
I saw this creative beer bike rack in Bend at On Tap. This is one of seven “pods” where food trucks can park. Customers can enjoy a wide variety of food from the trucks and beer and other beverages on tap inside the main building.
I LOVE the Rush’s Squares pizza food truck here! My favorite is the Pesto Margherita pizza.
This whimsical weeping hemlock sculpture is in the Oregon Garden in Silverton, Oregon. The weeping growth pattern of this hemlock works perfectly for this garden feature.
As sweltering temperatures occur here and elsewhere around the world, my mind keeps wandering back to the landscape near the pagoda lantern at the Portland Japanese Garden. I visited this impressive garden on a cool day in late October. The waterfall near the sculpture, Heavenly Waterfall, enters a small pond, full of koi fish.
This ‘snow-viewing’ pagoda lantern (Yukimi-dōrō) is located in the the Lower Pond section of the garden. The roof, or umbrella, on these lanterns is designed to catch the snowfall. These sculptures are traditionally placed near water.
Though it’s still a couple of months away, I’m looking forward to the cooler temperatures of autumn and the bright splashes of colorful leaves.
Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney created Buffalo Bill – The Scout to honor the town’s most famous resident. The dedication took place on July 4th in 1924.
Buffalo Bill Cody’s niece, Mary Jester Allen, was determined to honor his legacy after he died in 1917. She dreamed of opening a museum recognizing his accomplishments, despite the challenges. With her connections with the Eastern establishment, she convinced Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney to create a statue of Buffalo Bill.
Whitney agreed to create the sculpture, but didn’t like the proposed sites for its placement. She bought 40 adjoining acres. Whitney also ended up paying the entire $50,000 cost of the sculpture. The small town of Cody, evidently, could not raise enough to pay her.
A dream of a museum becomes a reality
In 1925, the International Cody Family Association formed. They proposed creating a Buffalo Bill Historical Museum. The town constructed a full-size replica of Buffalo Bill’s ranch home and opened it to the public in 1927. By 1949, the Buffalo Bill Memorial Association made plans to expand the facility. Western history and art, Native American culture, and natural history would be highlighted. A $250,000 donation in 1955 finally made expansion possible. Sonny Whitney, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney’s son, made that donation. In 1958, The Whitney Gallery of Western Art would become the first part of the world-class Buffalo Bill Center of the West.
Buffalo Bill ca 1875. George Eastman House Collection.
Sometimes when you research one thing – a statue – you plunge down a rabbit hole and learn much more. I did not know the Vanderbilts, once considered to be the wealthiest family in America, had this connection with William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody and his legacy.
Mary Jester Allen would serve the museum in multiple roles from 1927 to 1960. Because of her actions and perseverance, the center now attracts millions of visitors from around over the world.
There’s a new sculpture at Tumalo Art Co. in Bend, Oregon. The Homeward Bound sculpture of a deer, by Danae Bennett Miller, is a cast bronze piece. Danae uses a lost wax process to create works of art. I previously featured one of her horse sculptures in Outdoor Horse Sculptures. That post highlights the work of several impressive sculptors.
I’ve been out and about more recently and photographed several spectacular sights seen in blue and green.
I thought the pictures deserved a story, so I made up a tiny tale to go with each one. At a virtual conference I attended yesterday, I learned a “micro-story” is a form of flash fiction with 300 or fewer words. I’m calling the following stories “mini-micros” since they range from 43 to 58 words. Not sure if they qualify as true stories, but they were fun to write.
Mini-micro tales
A crowd of manzanita shrubs watches a shifting skyscape in awe. Their pink blossoms open in silent applause. Snow-covered Cascade volcanoes rumble in the background, taking in the show from a safe distance. Steam billows from their peaks, merging with the dancing clouds.
Paulina-East Lake Rd, Oregon
Clouds emerge from a crack in the ground on a chilly spring morning. They radiate outward from the ridgetop and tree branches stretch and reach towards them. Striated boulders celebrate by tumbling and crashing down a steep slope. An osprey drifting overhead crows in anticipation as another glorious day begins.
I’m always amazed by artists who collect seemingly unrelated bits & pieces of things and combine them into impressive works of art. This week I’m featuring War Paint by Greg Congleton. I have featured some of his other artwork on my blog since he’s one of my favorite local artists.
On a recent trip to Prineville, Oregon, I made a point of stopping to see this work. Greg created this piece in 2020. I decided to photograph the details of this sculpture more closely.
Here it is as you approach it from a distance.
When you get a little closer, you can see the attitude of the horse and the rider.
Greg is a master at showing expression in his welded metal sculptures. Look at the horse’s reaction to the situation.
Rainbow Splendor is a large statue of trout jumping in downtown Troutdale, Oregon. This work is by local residents and world-renown artists, Rip & Alison Caswell. A smaller version is for sale on their website.
This morning I woke up with memories of a bison. This is Wooly Bully by local Central Oregon artist, Greg Congleton. This sculpture used to be in the Old Mill district of Bend but was moved several years ago.
The artist includes collected bits and pieces of everyday and historical artifacts. For example, the guts are made from four cylinders and a crankshaft. The eyes are -7/8 inch hitch balls. The lungs are made from a Model A Ford horn. He has the vision and talent to incorporate the unexpected into his unique works of art.
Maybe I was having memories of a bison because I was thinking of Yellowstone National Park. I hope to visit again soon and view the animals that inspired this outdoor sculpture.
To see a couple more of Greg Congleton’s pieces, and those of other artists, see Outdoor Horse Sculptures.
The sun was rising and it was snowing lightly when I walked by this Canada goose sculpture in Bend, Oregon.
Sunrise over Canada goose sculpture
Here’s what it looks like with a bit more snow.
“River Geese” by Peter Helzer
This life-size bronze sculpture is by artist Peter Helzer. “River Geese” is part of the Art in Public Places initiative in Bend.
Canada geese pair & gosling
There are plenty of real life Canada geese in this neighborhood to keep the artwork company. The Deschutes River, and the Bend Whitewater Park, is directly behind this sculpture.
This Mother Bear sculpture is in a roundabout located in Madras, Oregon. Christopher Buffalo Folsom created this work of art. Can you spot all three of the mother bear’s cubs?
This is a sculpture of Fungie, a bottlenose dolphin who has lived in and around Dingle Bay in County Kerry, Ireland for 37 years. He has brought much joy to visitors and residents over the years. Unfortunately, he has not been seen for over a week. A large scale search is underway.
Fungie holds a place with Guinness World Records for being the longest-lived solitary dolphin in the world. He is thought to be in his forties.
I am sending good thoughts his way…
May you live as long as you want, And never want as long as you live.
This draft horse standing within three large circles of steel is by Devin Laurence Field. Horses played an integral role in Bend’s logging industry. Devin painstakingly constructs each steel piece in a process that includes cutting, forging, pressing, welding, grounding and polishing. This sculpture is in a roundabout in the northeast part of Bend.
Last February I was happy to see the Central Oregon Light Art exhibition lighting up winter nights in Bend. Oregon WinterFest has food, beer, and music like other events, but it’s also a showcase for artists. I have photographed the Fire Pit Competition (one of my favorite events!) and the Ice Sculpture Competition in the past. Central Oregon Light Art was added in 2019. I was surprised and impressed with what I saw this year.
This one looked nice in the daylight but look at how it changes at night.
In 1847, the worst year of Ireland’s Great Famine, people of the Choctaw Nation of the southeastern United States sent a gift of $170 to Ireland. The money, worth thousands in today’s dollars, was collected to help the starving people of Ireland. Over a million Irish people died from starvation and disease in the period from 1845 to 1849.
Honoring a small act of kindness
Cork-based sculptor, Alex Pentek, created the Kindred Spirits sculpture to help honor that simple act of kindness. The Making of Kindred Spirits shows the artist discussing its creation. The 20-foot tall sculpture, in Midleton, County Cork, was unveiled to the public in 2017. It stands in Ballie Park beside a popular walking trail.
But why would the Choctaw have sent such a gift when many of their people were struggling to survive?
Last weekend we visited the Oregon WinterFest event in Bend. I always look forward to seeing the fire pits and there were over 20 entries this year.
The Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) this week is Treasure Hunt. I thought the fire pits fit perfectly under the suggested topic of “something hot.” Here are a few of the sculptures I saw at the WinterFest event.
A scaly tree holding a suspended ball of fire
This one looked like kindling hovering over a fire
This sculpture by Robert Dow Reid is called Rhapsody. It’s located in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. The artist captured their playful spirit perfectly.
