Get straight to the art of the matter

Lincoln City seeks feedback on welcome center public art proposals

By Gretchen Ammerman

Oregon Coast TODAY

If you’ve ever looked at a piece of public art and thought, “Gee, I sure wish they had asked my opinion before spending money on that,” we have good news.

Your opinion is not just welcome, but is being actively sought for Lincoln City’s newest, and likely most ambitious, art installation for the new Lincoln City Welcome Center plaza at D River.

Proposals for the project, headed by Explore Lincoln City with assistance from the Lincoln City Public Arts Committee, have been narrowed down to three. And the artists and their proposals will be in full view at City Hall this Tuesday, Aug. 25.

“We have really exciting stuff happening with this piece of art,” said committee Chair Carolyn Wilson. “We’re really excited about the artists that applied and sent in their proposals and the three that we’ve narrowed it down to.”

Wilson said the committee asked artists to keep a few guidelines in mind when crafting their proposals.

“First, we want it to be something that people can interact with, other than climbing on it, which we don’t want,” she said. “And we want something that is reflective of ‘What makes this a Lincoln City thing?’”

Truly reflective of Lincoln City, one project, “Water Canopy” is based on a kite. The second, “Terra Ellipses,” proposes two panels with blue and green glass that will shine an image onto the ground that, at certain times of the day, will align to become planet Earth.

The third, “Your Seven Miles Smile” uses the sunset to come to full glory and is based on another very Lincoln City thing, a glass float.

The cost of the project will be covered by public funds.

“Every time there is a capital improvement project, there is a small amount of money set aside for public art,” Wilson said. “It is one half of one percent, and that is from a city council-approved ordinance.”

The narrowing down process was helped by setting specific goals for the art.

“There were other ones that were definitely interesting,” Wilson said. “But they didn’t feel like a good fit for this project.”

If you cannot make it to the public meeting, all of the projects and an opportunity for comments are on the ongoing projects page of the city’s website.

“The finish date for the new welcome center is late January,” Wilson said, “and we want the artist to be chosen in time so that if there is any prep work that needs to be done, like to the foundation, we still have time to address that while the work is still being completed.”

The public arts committee is an advisory body that can make recommendations, but the city manager and council will still make the final decision based on public input.

“All three are really creative,” Wilson said. “It is going to be hard to choose just one.”  

Tuesday’s meeting begins at 5:30 pm in the Council Chambers in Lincoln City Hall, located on the third floor at 801 SW Hwy. 101.

For more information and to make a comment, go to connectlincolncity.org.

FROM TOP: ‘Terra Ellipses’ by Kevin Necessary; ‘Water Canopy’ by Gregg Schlanger; ‘Your Seven Mile Smile’ by Nathan William Lambdin