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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Library, Recreation & <br /> Cultural Services Department <br />Public Art Program <br /> <br />__________________________________________________________________________________________ <br />City of Eugene <br />100 W. 10th Avenue, Suite 321 <br />NR <br />EWS ELEASE <br />Eugene OR 97401 <br />(541) 682-2057 <br />(541) 682-6834 FAX <br /> <br />www.eugene-or.gov <br /> <br />September 1, 2010 <br /> <br />CONTACT: <br />Isaac Marquez, City of Eugene Public Art Program Manager, 541-682-2057 or <br />isaac.r.marquez@ci.eugene.or.us <br /> <br />FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE <br /> <br />‘Bountiful’ Sculpture at Foot of New Bridge Takes Theme from Native Fishing <br /> <br />A sculpture titled “Bountiful” by Eugene artist Lee Imonen has been installed at the western <br />end of the new Delta Ponds pedestrian and bicycle bridge next to Goodpasture Island Road just <br />north of Valley River Center. <br /> “’Bountiful’ serves as a marker to the public and a response to the wetlands habitat and its <br />history,” said Imonen. <br />Rising 30 feet from the ground, the sculpture metaphorically references the tradition of <br />Native American net and weir fishing in the Northwest region. The elevated stainless steel structure <br />takes the form of a fishing net lifted from the ponds brimming with its shimmering harvest of salmon <br />and other native fish. The sculpture’s extended metaphor expresses both the time-honored and <br />renewed commitment to the natural and restored environment. This reference is likewise intended <br />to shed light on Eugene’s long-term investment in the restoration of the Delta Ponds wetlands and <br />fish passage and the new bridge that provides sustainable access to the natural areas. <br />The artwork and other visual enhancements to the bridge were financed by the federal <br />American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. True to the spirit stimulus funding, artist Imonen fueled <br />local commerce by using Oregon-based material suppliers, engineers, local specialty fabricators <br />and tradesmen along with the help of local labor. <br />The sculpture’s design, location, medium and scale help Eugene’s public art achieve a <br />community vision called for in the City’s 2010 Public Art Plan. This vision includes a call for art that <br />is integrated into urban design, large-scale pieces located at prominent locations, and an increase <br />in the variety of art media in the collection. <br />The sculpture will be formally recognized at a bridge dedication ceremony at 11 a.m. on <br />Saturday, September 11. For more information about Eugene’s Public Art Program, visit <br />www.eugene-or.gov/publicart. <br />