ARTISTS IMPRESS WAITSBURG REPS

WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg Arts Commission heard presentations from four artists last week, each of whom shared his vision for one of two public art pieces the city is commissioning for downtown. The projects are being funded by a $125,000 grant the city received from the Sherwood Trust, in Walla Walla. The presentations, on August 13, were made at jimgermanbar.

Jeffrey Hill and Squire Broel, both well-known Walla Walla artists, presented their concepts for a piece honoring three of Waitsburg's founders: Sylvester Wait, William Bruce and William Preston. When completed, the piece will be placed near the Hubbard Law Office.

Hill unveiled a clay model depicting the three men pushing a hand truck loaded with three sacks of wheat flour. He also brought along an actual antique hand truck he has purchased at Waitsburg Hardware. A likeness of it is incorporated in his sculpture.

The piece is to be cast in bronze and bolted into concrete. Several elements, including the subjects' clothing and the flour sacks, would be colored. The piece would be about six feet tall, and its depth and width would each be between five and six feet.

Hill is a Walla Walla native who produces art in a wide range of media, and creates both paintings and sculpture. He created the bronze sculpture, "Grand Crew," which sits at the entrance to the Enology Center at Walla Walla Community College.

Broel proposed a obelisk with four bronze panels, in a shape similar to the Washington Monument, showing the faces of the three founding fathers on three of the sides, near the top. The four panels would also include images showing a map of early Waitsburg, as well as wheat fields and the Touchet River.

The fourth panel would show a harvest moon at the top and include space for engraving the names of other contributors to Waitsburg's history, past, present and future. The piece would be about seven feet tall.

"For this project, I propose a cast bronze, four-sided obelisk that tells the story of the founding fathers through a combination of bas-relief figuration, text and references to the surrounding landscape," Broel said in his written description of his project.

Broel also grew up in Walla Walla, and has produced numerous public art pieces in the city, including the Walla Walla Sesquicentennial sculpture, "Looking Back, Looking Forward," at Heritage Park.

Former Dayton sculptor Keith McMasters and Walla Walla artist Wayne Chabre presented concepts for a memorial to Fanny Weller, which will be placed in front of the Weller Library. The piece will be a game table, with cast figures on two seats, and two empty seats, allowing passersby to join them. It will be placed in front of the library.

McMasters' proposal depicts a young boy and girl sitting at a game table atop a flour barrel. They are sitting on apple crates.

"The young girl would have her chin rested in her hands with an innocent, flirtatious smile and would also have all or most of the young boy's checkers collected on her side of the table. The boy would have a combined look of deep concentration, frustration, as well as embarrassment on his face," McMasters said in his written presentation.

McMasters is a longtime sculptor who has lived in both Waitsburg and Dayton. He currently resides in Hamilton, Mont. He is best known in this area for his "Stationmaster" sculpture, which stands next to the tracks in front of the Dayton Historic Depot.

Chabre presented a more whimsical game table, with a table and chairs made to look like cottonwood tree trunk and branches. Seated at the table is a young Fannie Weller, and opposite her, a toddler, Edward Bruce.

Chabre's game table features a game he developed, called The Waitsburg Story, which is also the name of his proposed sculpture.

His written submittal described the game: "I designed the game to tell a story about the community in a lighthearted fashion. It can be played fairly quickly, encouraging people to take some time to sit, play and visit. On the board I have mixed the names of generations and businesses from past eras, since they're all part of the cycle and all contributed in their time to our present moment."

Chabre is an established Walla Walla sculptor, who has created public art pieces for many communities in the northwest. He is particularly known in Walla Walla for his piece "Rooted," the Walla Walla Farmers Market pavilion.

Early this year, the City hired former ArtWalla Executive Director Jeana Garske to oversee the project and help secure funding. The City will contribute some funds as well.

The Waitsburg Arts Commission met the following day, August 14, and voted to recommend Broel and Chabre's proposals to the Waitsburg City Council. The council was to meet on Wednesday evening to make final selections for which artists to hire for the projects.

The Waitsburg Arts Commission includes Gail Gwinn, Allison Bond, Elizabeth Wright, City Council member Deb Callahan, Waitsburg Historical Society member Richard Hinds, and Kate Hockersmith. The Commission also includes non-voting members Garske and Waitsburg City Manager Randy Hinchliffe.