LIFEST Y LES AN ADVERTISING SECTION OF EVERGREEN NEWSPAPERS | VOL. 14 ISSUE 12 • DECEMBER 2022
Light Hearted Drummer by Jodie Bliss
Omni by Charlotte and Ben Zink
Why Sculpture in Evergreen? By Kristin Witt Special to Lifestyles
In the grand scheme of things, most of us have a list of what we need to get by. A roof over our head, food on the table, reliable transportation, and trusted healthcare are essential to our well-being. Beyond this, needs become more varied and are determined on an individual basis depending on lifestyle and interests. The arts tend to fall into a luxury category—enjoyable and worth pursuing, but not essential—until we take a deeper look. Art, specifically public art purposefully placed for the enrichment of the community, there to engage all comers regardless of position or prosperity, has proven to be more than a delight for the eyes. This belief underlies the genesis and success of Sculpture Evergreen.
FEATURE
OF THE MONTH Incorporated in 1994 as Art for the Mountain Community (AMC) and renamed Sculpture Evergreen (SE) in 2014, this non-profit, all-volunteer organization determined to place art in the public forum, marking Evergreen and the surrounding area as an art center, a Mecca for artists and art lovers. “Art for the Mountain Community’s mission was simple,” says Peter Eggers, 1997-1998 Board President, “to install art in public places. Logically it took the form of sculpture. Art in public places became a passion for that Board and all the ones that came after, and I believe served to put Evergreen on the ‘sculpture’ map, complementing efforts by Center for the Arts Evergreen, Center
Stage, and the Evergreen Artists Association to build the image of Evergreen as a home for the arts.” Barbara Sternberg, a founding member of AMC, had a vision for public art in Evergreen starting with a commissioned piece for the Evergreen Lake Park entitled Spirits of the Land by Madeline Wiener. It still stands as a favorite of the community, and it all started with just $5,000 and a sponsor. The next permanent piece was The Foreman by Laura Mehmert, installed in Heritage Grove Park. These pieces, now joined by more than 40 other permanent pieces, have become a part of the landscape in Evergreen and a monument to the commitment of a community to offer more than commerce and convenience. It is a commitment to bring beauty into the lives of residents and visitors, beauty that enhances and
Please see SCULPTURE, Page 2