New artwork funded in Redmond
Evergreen building will get new window piece
By Kyle Spurr, The Bulletin,  @kylejspurr
Published Oct 23, 2016 at 12:03AM
After a successful fundraiser and large donation, Redmond’s public art committee is planning new projects in the city.
Earlier this summer, the committee collected about $6,700 from an art fundraiser that featured 20 painted sculptures of rockchucks, the yellow-bellied marmots found in Central Oregon.
In addition, Redmond-based developer Hayden Homes recently donated about $6,600.
Redmond Committee for Arts in Public Places Chairwoman Linda Gilmore Hill said the fundraising money will help add pieces to the city’s outdoor gallery. The Hayden Homes donation will fund an art glass piece on a window inside the Evergreen building, a historic school building being renovated to serve as city hall.
“Our plan is to put some kind of art glass over the face of the window so there would be a piece of art inside the building,” Hill said.
The public art committee has also targeted other areas at the new city hall. With existing funds, the committee hired local artist Kim Chavez to create a bronze sculpture depicting the three mascots at the historic school. The sculpture of a panther, eagle and wolf is expected to be done by early next year, when the new city hall is slated to open.
For the art glass piece inside the historic building, Hill said, a request for proposals will go out within the next week. The committee plans to work with the Oregon Arts Commission to attract artists from around the state who may be interested in the project.
Jason Neff, Redmond’s deputy director of central services, who is managing the city hall renovation project, said the glass artwork will be an interesting component to the renovated building.
“We thought it would be neat to look at an art project there,” Neff said. “It’s an interior window where there is some opportunity.”
The more than $13,000 from the fundraiser and donation is a huge boost to the art committee that operates on $15,000 allocated in the city budget each year.
“We don’t really get many large donations at all,” Hill said. “The fundraiser started out as a public awareness of art.”
With 10 new pieces added to the outdoor Art Around the Clock Program in July and the recent donations, Hill said, the public art committee continues to grow.
“It’s great for the economic development for the community,” she said. “We are really proud of our program.”
Geoff Harris, regional director at Hayden Homes, said the local private homebuilder enjoys positively impacting groups such as the public art committee. The company often donates to local programs.
“We love to have the chance to participate and help the community however we can,” Harris said.