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75 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, August 28, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend July 18, 2004 City considers putting art downtown By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune Ashley Hamilton says a sculpture of two children on a bench would be a welcome touch to downtown. "I think it’d be neat," said the 23-year-old Medford resident while waiting to meet a friend outside the Central Library. Medford could use more public art, she said, like what she’s seen in other cities. "I really like that bear thing they do in Grants Pass," she said. The Medford Arts Commission is putting together a call to sculptors to create two life-sized children sitting on a bench engaged in artistic endeavors, such as reading or playing instruments, on the northwest corner of Ninth and Central avenues. The commission hopes to have the sculpture in place by November. Advertisement "We’re putting out the (Request for Proposals) and see what people come back with," said Lesley Klecan, chairwoman of the Arts Commission. At this point, the commission is considering spending $40,000 for the public art, she said. With the popularity of the Vogel Plaza chess player sculpture just up the road, the commission decided to keep going. "The idea that we had was to try to create a corridor of art," Klecan said. The chess player, placed in Vogel Plaza in 2002, was created by Pleasant Hill bronze sculptor Peter Helzer, who also created five pairs of bronze gates and an 8 foot bronze and wood "monster bench" in the new library. Lorrie Kovell, Jackson County Library services manager, said the location of the proposed sculpture, cater-corner from the library, works for her and makes the neighborhood more inviting. "It helps draw other people into the library," she said. Library Assistant Gayle Silverman said she also likes the proposal. "It brings art into people’s lives as they’re driving down the road," she said. "They don’t have to go into a museum or a gallery." In 2003, the Arts Commission had considered putting a mural on the second-story wall of a brick building near the corner of East Main Street and Central Avenue, across the street from Vogel Plaza. The commission ended up abandoning that idea, Klecan said. She said that although the commission is putting together some details in the RFP, the sculpture design isn’t set in bronze. "We’re feeling very open minded," she said. "As long as it’s professional so that it can withstand time and Central Avenue." The commission is scheduled to decide on the RFP on Monday. Another public art project in the works is the $29,000 Medford entry sign scheduled to be in place Sept. 1. The sculpture, being created by Wisdom Signs and Graphics in Phoenix, will be a 20- foot-long meandering ribbon of steel about 6 feet tall between the Big Y and the north Medford Interchange. It’s funded by the Parks and Recreation Department. If you go ... What: Medford Arts Commission meeting. When: 5:30 p.m., Monday Where: Council Chambers, City Hall, 411 W. Eighth St., Medford. For more information, contact the Mayor and City Manager’s Office at City Hall, 774-2000. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities