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A Day Trip to Oregon: Tuesday, June 26, 2012
with two friends, Debi and Jen.

The main reason to plan a day-trip to Oregon was to see “The Eternal Indian” statue by Lorado Taft. While planning, I realized that Oregon had other sculptures by Lorado Taft, like the “Soldiers Monument” and “The Fish Boys”, and maquette of some of his works at the Oregon Public Library. What was also fascinating was to discover the sculptures by local artist Jeff Adams, and his initiative in creating the Community Art Legacy with “Ten in Ten” program. It’s purpose is installing “Ten sculptures in Ten years” in the Oregon area. We also saw some Tipis.

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In one day trip we were able to see about 15 outdoor sculptures.
this post covers our day trip to Oregon.

PART I :  This post is about the Oregon Sculpture Trail
The Oregon Sculpture Trail began in 1911, with the Black Hawk Statue, and it now has about 15 sculptures.

But I feel that some parts of our trip needs to be elaborated upon into seperate posts..
Part II: The Eternal Indian – by Lorado Taft
Part III: Jeff Adam’s, “Paths of Conviction: Footsteps of Faith”
Part IV: Oregon Public Library
Part V: Oregon Trail of painted Tipis

 

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The Eternal Indian – by Lorado Taft
popularly known as The Black Hawk.

1911 / concrete
Location: Lowden State Park, Oregon, Illinois.
For a lot more on this 50-foot sculpture.. click here..

Lorado Zadoc Taft [April 29, 1860 – October 30, 1936] arguably one of the greatest sculptors of Chicago was born in Elmwood, IL, and died in his home studio in Chicago. He studied art at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. He taught at the School of The Art Institute of Chicago from 1886 until 1907, and continued to lecture there until 1929. Taft was closely associated with Chicago’s World’s Fair [Columbian Exposition] of 1893, where he employed some female students dubbed as White Rabbits. In 1903 Taft published The History of American Sculpture, the first survey of the subject.

Lorado Taft and Eagle’s Nest Colony, Oregon, IL.

The Eagle’s Nest Art Colony was started by a group in 1898, when a group of artists associated with the Chicago Art institute leased land on the bluff overlooking the Rock River on the east bank. This group of artists with painters, sculptors, writers, poets and musicians established summer homes there and continued to meet in summers until 1942, when the lease was terminated with the death of the last surviving original member. Lorado Taft was among the founding members of the Eagle’s Nest Colony. The maquette of many of the sculptures made by artists at eagle’s Nest Colony are the Oregon Public Library.

Taft is responsible for several works of sculpture within the nearby city of Oregon. The most famous of Taft’s sculptures in Oregon is the “Eternal Indian”. He also has the Soldier’s Monument and Fish Boys. A number of pieces in the Oregon Public Library art gallery are credited to members and associates of the art colony.

 

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The Soldier’s Monument – by Lorado Taft
Dedicated: 1916
Location: Court House Square, southeast corner of Ogle County Courthouse.

The Soldiers’ Monument is a Taft created sculpture that stands on the public square of the Old Ogle County Courthouse in Oregon.  The statue was created to honor more than 3,500 Ogle county veterans of the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and the War of 1812 and the Mexican War. Lorado Taft offered to help find a suitable location for the proposed heavy bronze plates cast with names. He contributed a year’s work to the creation of the monument for which architects, Pond and Pond, designed the exedra, on which the bronze plates and three figures are mounted.

Taft’s oversized Classical female figure stands with her arms outstretched, clutching laurel wreaths. The bronze center figure, holding two laurel wreaths represents America Two solider statues, cut from marble, represent an infantryman, looking north longingly toward home, and a cavalryman on the right, turned defiantly toward the south, his hand on the hilt of this sword. Behind her is an exedra which was designed by colony members and architects Pond and Pond. The exedra extends around the installation and to either side of the female sculpture are built in benches. Above the benches are bronze plaques honoring veterans of the Civil War and the Spanish–American War, above the individual war plaques is bronze plating that reads, “Ogle County Honors Her Sons.” Flanking the dominant sculpture are two soldiers atop pedestals, one facing north and the other facing south.  Subsequently, a bronze tablet listing World War I veterans was added to the front of the monument, near America’s outstretched left hand.

For more.. click here..

 

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The Fish Boys – by Lorado taft
Location: Mix Park, Oregon.

The Fish Boys, or Dolphin Fountain, is another Taft work located in Oregon. The fountain consists of two boys kneeling on the edge of a pool of water, each holding a large fish. Water from the mouths of the fish pours into the shallow pool. The figures were originally cast in bronze and designed as part of the Fountain of the Great Lakes in Chicago. The Oregon Fish Boys are a blend of concrete, quartz and pebbles from the Potomac River. The fountain is located in Oregon’s Mix Park.

Original bronze sculptures were designed and cast in bronze as part of Taft’s “Fountain of the Great Lakes” ..click here..  at the Chicago Art Institute of Chicago, South Garden. The Oregon’s “Fish Sculptures” are constructed by a special blend of concrete and crushed quartz, incorporating pebbles from Potomac River.

For more.. click here..

 

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Maquette for “Blind ” – by Lorado Taft

The Blind is a maquette of a sculpture by Lorado Taft, located at the University of Illinois. This is representative of the Eagles Nest Art Colony Collection, seen at the Oregon Public Library.

Oregon Public Library

The building was built by Chicago architectural firm of Pond and Pond, and has characteristics of Arts and Crafts Movement. The Oregon Public Library was added to the US National Register of Historic Places on May 9, 2003. The second floor of the lirary building has a gallery with artworks by members of the Eagle’s Nest Colony.

 

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Paths of Conviction, Footsteps of Fate – by Jeff Adams

Paths of Conviction, Footsteps of Fate, by Oregon sculptor, Jeff Adams, 2002, is located at Mix Park. It reflects on the crossing of the paths of Lincoln and Blackhawk and the struggles in this area in 1832.

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Community Art Legacy: Ten Sculptures in Ten Years

The Community Art Legacy [CAL] was formed in 2004 by a group of Oregon citizens,
with the purpose of installing “Ten sculptures in Ten years” in the Oregon area.
It was formed under the initiative of Jeff Adams, sculptor and foundry operator of inBronze Foundry in Mt. Morris.

Their guiding motivation was expressed by sculptor Lorado Taft when he said,
“The hometown is the dearest place on earth. Why not make is more beautiful”.

The Community Art Legacy CAL holds a competition each year in which sculptors submit maquettes (models) of work to the theme of the Fields Project, “bringing art and agriculture together”. The winning sculptor receives a prize of $2,000 and then enlarges the maquette to a “lifesize” sculpture which is then molded and cast in bronze. The sculptor also receives the molds from which additional sculptures can be cast. Funds for this program are given and pledged by friends and members of the community over the 10 years of the program. Ownership, installation and maintenance responsibilities are assumed by the entity where the sculpture is placed. Thus, the inspiration and work of the CAL will have added 10 sculptures to the Oregon Sculpture Trail when fi nished.

Here are some of the sculptures under CAL’s Ten in Ten program:

[1]. 2005: From the Waters Comes My Bounty – by Ray Kobald
[2]. 2006: Agriculture, Mother of Civilization – by David Seagraves / across the Rock River to Oregon Park East.
[3]. 2007: Cornball – by Howard Russo / Oregon Coliseum front lawn.
[4]. 2008: The Bountiful Bench – by Christina Murphy / Oregon Public Library.
[5]. 2009: Solar Reef – by Andrew Langoussis / Oregon Park West.
[6]. 2010: Making Hay – by David Ingebritson / Stillman Bank, Oregon.
[7]. 2011: Harvest Hunter – by Matthew Donavon / Nash Recreation Center
[8]. 2012: Working the Land – by Robert Pulley / Oregon Park District’s Community Garden on 10th Street.
[9]. 2013: Soy Pod – by Pamela Lee / Oregon Post Office
[10]. 2014: John Phelps – by Steven Carpenter / west side of the Oregon Coliseum.

 

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From the Waters Comes My Bounty – by Ray Kobald
Installed: 2005
Location: Kiwanis Park [201 N 2nd St.], at the west end of the dam of the Rock River.
It depicts the generosity of the life-giving waters to all things.

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Agriculture, Mother of Civilization – by David Seagraves
Installed: 2006
Location: The Judicial Center, west of Court House
She personifies the fertility of the earth and Ogle county.

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The Cornball – by Howard Russo
Installed: 2007
Location: Coliseum, north of Court House
It represents the increased global impact of corn to the world.

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The Bountiful Bench – by Christina Murphy
Installed: 2008
Location: Lawn of Oregon Public Library
Inspired by the beauty of Rock River, the woman of nature and her coverlet hold the produce and natural bounty of the area.

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Solar Reef – By Andrew Langoussis
Installed: 2009
Location: Oregon West Park / 1402 Koontz Place.
It represents the sun, the source of all energy, and through it can be seen the Court House and Oregon.

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Making Hay – by Daniel Ingebritson
Installed: 2010
Location: Stillman Bank, north of IL Route 2.
It captures the dynamic movement of the farmer’s strokes of the scythe through the hay.

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ADDENDUM

In our trip to Oregon in 2012, we had seen only the above mentioned 6 sculptures from the “Ten in Ten” program.
By 2014, the project was complete, and all the 10 sculptures installed.
We took another trip to oregon in 2017, and saw all the installations.

 

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Ten Sculptures in Ten Years program.
2005 “From the Water Comes My Bounty” by Ray Kobald, across the Rock River to Oregon Park East;
2006 “Agriculture, Mother of Civilization” by David Seagraves, Ogle County Judicial Center;
2007 “Cornball” by Howard Russo, Oregon Coliseum front lawn;
2008 “The Bountiful Bench” by Christina Murphy, Oregon Public Library;
2009 “Solar Reef” by Andrew Langoussis, Oregon Park West;
2010 “Making Hay” by Daniel Ingebrightson, Stillman Bank, Oregon;
2011 “Harvest Hunter” by Matthew Donovan, Nash Recreation Center:
2012 “Working the Land” by Robert Pulley, Oregon Park District’s Community Garden on 10th Street; and
2013 “Soy Pod” by Pamela Lee, Oregon Post Office.
2014 “John Phelps” by Steven Carpenter, west side of the Oregon Coliseum.

 

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Related Links:

Oregon, IL Attractions.. click here..
2012 Day Trip: Oregon click here..

My Vacations Photo Gallery.. click here..
Vacation: USA / Illinois.. click here..
Vacation: USA.. click here..
Vacation: UK.. click here..
Vacation: India.. click here..
UNESCO World Heritage Site.. click here..
Home: Public Art in Chicago.. .. click here..

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