One more view of Running Horses, Tom Hardy, 1986, Bronze SW 6th and Madison, part of the Public Art on the TriMet MAX Green Line

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While looking for more public art photos to feature, I came across this one of Running Horses. I took it on Feb. 20, 2009. I've been racking my brain trying to figure out why the sun was shining like this and that flowering tree is blooming, plus the bloom on that shorter plant--I think it is a camellia--in February?

Confusing. So I've looked back at my blog and found a completely dry photo that I took on Feb.5, another one where a lady's sitting outside at an ice cream place, bundled up in her coat, but it's sunny, no rain. So, February 2009 must have been a less wet month than I would have thought, with enough sunshine and warmth to bring on the blooms.

Constellation, three sculptures by Tad Savinar, 2000, Bronze -- No. 3, A Neighborhood Gardener

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A Neighborhood Gardener. From the plaque at the park: "These three sculptures are a visual representation of the connections between our civic gardens and our neighborhoods, and of the pivotal role we have as stewards of those relationships." This project was funded by the City of Portland's Percent for Art Program, administered by the Regional Arts & Culture Council.
 

Garden shears in her right hand, she stands still, perhaps reflecting on her garden and the work she's accomplished. You can see her gardening gloves hanging from her left hip pocket in this photo. I found this description on the Internet: Standing female figure representing the neighborhood gardiner is actually a portrait of long-time community organizer, Carolyn Marks-Bax, who was selected for this honor by the neighborhood. I found it by accident, since gardener is misspelled.
 

I found on the Internet that the statue modeled after a local gardener, Carolyn Marks-Bax, who gardened near the park in the Sullivan's Gulch neighborhood. She may still garden there, I have no idea. When I go back some day to see this series of sculptures again, I plan to pay better attention to her.

Historical Information, from the City of Portland, about Holladay Park.

This park is named after Benjamin Holladay (1819-1887), known to many as "a sharpster, a con man, and a rake." He stirred things up wherever he went and was a bit of a dandy, dressing like a riverboat gambler. He was said to be "wholly destitute of fixed principles of honesty, morality, or common decency." In 1868 Holladay sold his stage coach business in California to Wells Fargo and moved to Portland to get involved in the railroad business. His goal was to build a rail line to California along the east side of the Willamette River. In order to do so, he spent a total of $55,000 in bribe money to help secure his company's endorsement. He also built two large hotels in the area where the park bearing his name is now located. Known as an extravagant spender, Holladay owned numerous mansions on both coasts and had over extended himself financially. He lost his railroad in 1876, and died in Portland in 1887.

Commissioned by the Lloyd Corporation and Pacific Power & Light in 1964, a concrete fountain featuring music and lights was installed in the park. Designed by Jack Stuhl, assisted by Ted Widing and Phillips Electrical, the musical fountain was favorite gathering place for park visitors. It was replaced in 2000, in conjunction with a major renovation of the park, by a spouting fountain designed by Tim Clemen and Murase Associates.

Three cast-bronze sculptures by artist Tad Savinar were added to the park as a percent-for-art project in 2000. Entitled Constellation, the project illustrates the connection between the personal front yard garden and the civic park garden through three distinct elements: a vase of cut flowers, an abstract molecule containing elements of a good neighborhood, and the figure of a home gardener, shears in hand. The objects in the molecule were selected by the Sullivan Gulch Neighborhood Association and the gardener was modeled after Carolyn Marks, a longtime neighborhood activist.

Constellation, three sculptures by Tad Savinar, 2000, Bronze -- No. 2, Flowers From a Neighborhood Garden

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Flowers From a Neighborhood Garden. From the plaque at the park: "These three sculptures are a visual representation of the connections between our civic gardens and our neighborhoods, and of the pivotal role we have as stewards of those relationships." This project was funded by the City of Portland's Percent for Art Program, administered by the Regional Arts & Culture Council.
 

One view of the vase of cut flowers. I found this description on the Internet: A slender vase with a tall arrangement of flowers including hydrangeas and daisies.
 

Another view of the cut flowers.

Historical Information, from the City of Portland, about Holladay Park.

This park is named after Benjamin Holladay (1819-1887), known to many as "a sharpster, a con man, and a rake." He stirred things up wherever he went and was a bit of a dandy, dressing like a riverboat gambler. He was said to be "wholly destitute of fixed principles of honesty, morality, or common decency." In 1868 Holladay sold his stage coach business in California to Wells Fargo and moved to Portland to get involved in the railroad business. His goal was to build a rail line to California along the east side of the Willamette River. In order to do so, he spent a total of $55,000 in bribe money to help secure his company's endorsement. He also built two large hotels in the area where the park bearing his name is now located. Known as an extravagant spender, Holladay owned numerous mansions on both coasts and had over extended himself financially. He lost his railroad in 1876, and died in Portland in 1887.

Commissioned by the Lloyd Corporation and Pacific Power & Light in 1964, a concrete fountain featuring music and lights was installed in the park. Designed by Jack Stuhl, assisted by Ted Widing and Phillips Electrical, the musical fountain was favorite gathering place for park visitors. It was replaced in 2000, in conjunction with a major renovation of the park, by a spouting fountain designed by Tim Clemen and Murase Associates.

Three cast-bronze sculptures by artist Tad Savinar were added to the park as a percent-for-art project in 2000. Entitled Constellation, the project illustrates the connection between the personal front yard garden and the civic park garden through three distinct elements: a vase of cut flowers, an abstract molecule containing elements of a good neighborhood, and the figure of a home gardener, shears in hand. The objects in the molecule were selected by the Sullivan Gulch Neighborhood Association and the gardener was modeled after Carolyn Marks, a longtime neighborhood activist.

Constellation, three sculptures by Tad Savinar, 2000, Bronze -- No. 1, Isolated Molecule for a Good Neighborhood

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Constellation: Isolated Molecule for a Good Neighborhood. From the plaque at the park: "These three sculptures are a visual representation of the connections between our civic gardens and our neighborhoods, and of the pivotal role we have as stewards of those relationships." This project was funded by the City of Portland's Percent for Art Program, administered by the Regional Arts & Culture Council.

First, photos of the atoms in the molecule, followed by a wide shot of the sculpture in Holladay Park, NE 11th Avenue & Holladay Street. At the end of the post you'll find historical information about the park and more details about the sculptures, from the City of Portland. I took these photos November 6, 2010.
 

Milk carton.
 

Milk carton and school building, front view.
 

School building, back view.
 

Garden spade and house, back view.
 

House, front view.
 

Family. Has something been broken off in the center of this group of figures? It's the turquoise color showing at the top of those structures that makes me wonder.
 

The entire sculpture, not the best angle for seeing it clearly, what with the nearby tree trunks being almost the same color. And I missed a few of the atoms: An enlarged structure of a molecule featuring atoms in the shape of a garden tool, a milk carton, a coffee mug, a bagel, a house, a school, a family, and trees --all the things that make a good neighborhood. Now I have a reason to go there again someday and take a longer look, see what else I can photograph.

Historical Information This park is named after Benjamin Holladay (1819-1887), known to many as "a sharpster, a con man, and a rake." He stirred things up wherever he went and was a bit of a dandy, dressing like a riverboat gambler. He was said to be "wholly destitute of fixed principles of honesty, morality, or common decency." In 1868 Holladay sold his stage coach business in California to Wells Fargo and moved to Portland to get involved in the railroad business. His goal was to build a rail line to California along the east side of the Willamette River. In order to do so, he spent a total of $55,000 in bribe money to help secure his company's endorsement. He also built two large hotels in the area where the park bearing his name is now located. Known as an extravagant spender, Holladay owned numerous mansions on both coasts and had over extended himself financially. He lost his railroad in 1876, and died in Portland in 1887.

Commissioned by the Lloyd Corporation and Pacific Power & Light in 1964, a concrete fountain featuring music and lights was installed in the park. Designed by Jack Stuhl, assisted by Ted Widing and Phillips Electrical, the musical fountain was favorite gathering place for park visitors. It was replaced in 2000, in conjunction with a major renovation of the park, by a spouting fountain designed by Tim Clemen and Murase Associates.

Three cast-bronze sculptures by artist Tad Savinar were added to the park as a percent-for-art project in 2000. Entitled Constellation, the project illustrates the connection between the personal front yard garden and the civic park garden through three distinct elements: a vase of cut flowers, an abstract molecule containing elements of a good neighborhood, and the figure of a home gardener, shears in hand. The objects in the molecule were selected by the Sullivan Gulch Neighborhood Association and the gardener was modeled after Carolyn Marks, a longtime neighborhood activist.

Neons are in! Well, OK, it's just bright yellow and there are no matching street level colors, but who cares? No. 7

Here's the map of the intersection. We're focused this time on the southwest corner, labeled on the map as Pod: the Sculpture.
 

Who could resist a bright yellow Portland Streetcar in a series like this? Not I.

On the right you see a young woman with her hoop, entertaining the pedestrians who are crossing West Burnside on SW 10th Avenue, heading north at the corner. It appears no one paid her much mind once they'd passed her on the way to cross the street.

I've noticed that the majority of the pedestrians are wearing denim jeans, so that's a sort of matching. Plus those three boys have on shorts. Two of the three people between the brown poles have on baggy pants. And one bicyclist waiting beside the streetcar has on a yellow bicycle helmet. Tidbits of matching going on here.

At the very right edge of the photo you can see just a bit of the kinetic sculpture, Pod. If you're tall enough, you can reach up and touch part of it which makes it swing slowly back and forth, much like the girl rhythmically rotated her hoop with her hips.
 

Here's a photo that I took on October 16, 2010, which shows almost the entire sculpture--you're just missing the third leg. That black, bulbous shape is what one must reach up and touch or shove to make the more than 70 stainless steel rods sway in unison. I've actually seen the tips of the rods separate somewhat when the shove had some elbow grease behind it!

The building diagonally across from the Pod has been changed, with a different business on its ground floor. You'll get to see a symbol of that new business in a later post in this series.

"Thor," coming and going

On Valentine's Day before I made it to Pioneer Courthouse Square, I came upon sculptor Melvin Schuler's "Thor," one of the public art pieces that dot two downtown Portland avenues, SW 6th and SW 5th, also known as the Portland Bus Mall. In January, 2007, when TriMet moved the bus operations to SW 4th and SW 3rd so that renovations to the mall could take place, including adding light rail, TriMet moved the public art for safe-keeping--here's what TriMet had to say about the process: Nearly all of the existing public art sculptures on the Mall have been temporarily removed to protect them during construction. The sculptures will be cleaned and refurbished, then relocated along the Central Mall at sites more congenial to viewing them in the round.

In the past few months as construction nears completion, some pieces have been placed in their new sites. "Thor" is one of them, created by Schuler in 1977. It's copper on redwood. It's on SW 6th between SW Taylor and SW Yamhill. Here's the view as I walked closer to it.

And here's the other side of it, looking southward.

Wouldn't that curved section make a great place to take a photo of someone special? At eight feet tall and a lovely verdi gris, it would make an effective backdrop.

Here's an interesting bit about sculptor Schuler:

A professor emeritus from Humbolt State University, Schuler received his BA and MFA from the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, CA and studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, Denmark. He carves his sculptures from recycled old-growth redwood. In order for the work to weather the out of doors, he covers it with copper in the same way that the hulls of the American clipper ships were covered. The copper is placed shingle-like and fastened with bronze nails, hammered and then a cold patina is applied. His works can be found in many distinguished private and public collections throughout the US.

Flat Stanley and I tour Portland's Living Room

Alongside Yamhill as we walked towards Pioneer Courthouse Square, we found a couple of otters perch on a concrete fountain, already turned off for fall. He looks great standing there with them, doesn't he?



Likewise here on the back of this mama deer, standing near her fawn.





At first it appeared that no one was home in Portland's Living Room.



No one except for this kind man offering his umbrella to anyone in need--he's actually a life-size statue called "Allow Me." Flat Stanley really got a kick out of how real he seems. You can see close-up photos by clicking here.



Then we saw this photographer lady who appeared to waiting for something. Turns out that Trista Page--that's her name--was indeed waiting for someone, a model for a Nordstrom photo shoot. All three of us got a kick out of this photo of Trista and Flat Stanley.



Here she is at work. Flat Stanley said, "Trista has more stuff with her than you do. Maybe you ought to suggest that she get a rolling bag, too." I laughed and told him I'd leave that up to Trista, the professional photographer.



We walked across the top of the ampitheater, towards a set of stairs in the center of the square. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed this bronze hat, holding rainwater.



We went down the stairs and turned left, towards Morrison. That's when we saw these two bronze chess boards, resting on pieces of a fallen column. Flat Stanley was relieved when I explained that it had not fallen by accident, that it was all part of the public art at the square.







As we walked up the stairs towards Morrison, we noticed this face, sort of smiling at us. "Could I have a picture with that face?" Flat Stanley asked. Naturally I agreed as you see here. I think this face is part of what's known as a waterfall fountain--I'll have to go back to check at some point.



Flat Stanley and I rode the 15 bus home after our fun tour of Portland's Living Room.