Enjoy Lake Oswego's Newest Art
Follow Your Art! throughout downtown Lake Oswego. In partnership with the City of Lake Oswego, we are pleased to introduce the newest works of art in the rotating Gallery Without Walls exhibition—works that will delight and enrich our community for the next two years. Accessible to community members and visitors alike, the new sculptures celebrate creativity and innovation.
Over sixty rotating and permanent sculptures are included in the Gallery Without Walls. The rotating sculptures are on-loan from artists of national and international acclaim for a two-year period, and are for sale. A volunteer committee works for a year to select the artwork, balancing the exhibition to include a wide variety of concepts, forms and materials. Many of our local businesses sponsor the sculptures for the two year period. (Mike Suri is shown here with his sculpture Peer, installed at Bigelow Plaza by Safeway on A Avenue.)
We're Hiring
Click here for information about our Executive Director position.
Lee Kelly's Angkor I on Exhibit
Bonnie Schlieman, Arts Council Board member, started thinking about how well a sculpture by Lee Kelly would look in Lake Oswego. She thought about his many great pieces at the Portland Art Museum’s (PAM) Lee Kelly Retrospective this past winter. Then through an introduction facilitated by the Chief Curator of PAM we were able to approach the artist about a special showing. After several months Bonnie’s vision is a reality, with Angkor 1 placed in a well-positioned site overlooking the lake in Millennium Plaza Park. The sculpture is on-loan from the artist for an extended time. “Our sculpture gallery is beautifully enhanced by Lee Kelly’s Angkor 1. I hope everyone stops to look, admire and study it. It is a treasure for our community to enjoy,” stated Bonnie. (Lee Kelly is shown above with his sculpture.)
Chronicle Winners Join the City's Permanent Art Collection
With the guidance of a volunteer jury, one or two of the Chronicle artworks are purchased for the City's permanent art collection. This year the two pieces selected are Nocturne by Thomas Kenneth Conway (above left) and Splash by Deborah Marble (above right). The artwork will be available for viewing at City Hall in July.
The Winner!
Congratulations to Alisa Formway Roe, the artist who created August Trunk, the winner of the 2011 People's Choice award (shown at right)! Here are some of the comments we received:
• This piece reminds me that there's a great, big world out there.
• August Trunk is a must addition to LO Gallery Without Walls! Love seeing it everytime I drive by.
• August Trunk is stunning. It must win. I will be very sad if it leaves Lake Oswego.
• This sculpture represents awareness and beauty. Elephants are smart and intelligent and the artist portrays that thru this sculpture as well as the plight they have faced due to hunters and land loss.
• It was hard to choose, I like them all! It would be wonderful if we could keep all of them and become an outdoor sculpture museum;-)
• I LOVE the elephant, and so do many many children who delight in climbing inside and then peering out while parents snap photos. Fingers crossed here. :)
Our iPhone and Smartphone App
Volunteer Brian Strull, with assistance from Joy Strull, developed our new Smartphone app featuring the Gallery Without Walls sculpture. Backed by 25 years of experience in the computer software industry, Brian worked for several months on the program that utilizes the latest technology. Bonnie Schlieman and Pat Vessely wrote the copy for each sculpture on the tour. The iPhone app is free and can be found in the Apple App store by searching for 'LO Art Tour.' The Smartphone app is also free and can be found here. (artscouncillo.org/tour)
The app showcases five different tours, including Abstracts, People and Animals. The app allows anyone with a Smartphone (excluding Blackberries at this time) to find the nearest sculpture, read the sculpture description, link to the artist’s website, and link to the sponsor’s website.
Walking Tour Brochure Available Online
Our Walking Tour brochure is available at City Hall and at various places around Lake Oswego. You can also click here for a pdf of the brochure. It may take a few moments to download.
Support the Arts Council
Become a memb
er today with your contribution of $50 or more. Your membership ensures that public art and visual art are available to community members and visitors of all ages! Click here for details about member benefits and access to a printable membership form. Or use our secure link to make a contribution online.
Volunteer Opportunity
The Arts Council of Lake Oswego is looking for volunteers to be on the Public Art Committee. Click here for a pdf of the job description.
The Public Art Committee of the Arts Council of Lake Oswego is responsible for the maintenance, placement and cataloging of the permanent art collection of the City of Lake Oswego. Members are appointed by a selection committee comprised of the Lake Oswego City Council and the Arts Council. Members of the committee are artists, docents, art historians and citizens who are interested in the art collection of Lake Oswego. Call our office at 503.675.3738 to obtain an application or click here for a printable application.
Bringing the Arts and Community Together
The Arts Council of Lake Oswego is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and was formed to ensure a continuation of support for the arts in Lake Oswego. We promote education and appreciation for all of the arts by maintaining the City of Lake Oswego's art collection through exhibits, tours, lectures and performance arts.