''Big Red'', also known as ''Red'',
is an outdoor 1974 steel sculpture by
Bruce Beasley
Bruce Beasley (born 1939, in Los Angeles, California) is an American abstract expressionist sculptor born in Los Angeles and currently living and working in Oakland, California. He attended Dartmouth College from 1957–59, and the University of Ca ...
, installed at West 7th Avenue between Washington and Jefferson streets in
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.
As of the 2020 United States Census, Eu ...
, United States.
Description and history
Bruce Beasley's ''Big Red'' is an outdoor sculpture installed at
Washington Jefferson Park, located at West 7th Avenue between Washington and Jefferson, in Eugene.
[ The red painted, abstract steel sculpture measures , x , x , .][
The piece is among those created in June 1974, when the city held the Oregon International Sculpture Symposium, which attracted artists from around the country.]Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
, the purpose of the event was to provide attendees "an opportunity to observe the creation of a major art work, how it was constructed and what the artist meant to convey with it".[ Studio space was provided at the ]University of Oregon
The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...
and at Lane Community College
Lane Community College is a public community college in Eugene, Oregon, with additional facilities in downtown Eugene, Florence, Cottage Grove, and the Lane Aviation Academy at Eugene Airport. Lane serves more than 26,000 credit and non-credit ...
; ''Big Red'' was created at the latter location and was relocated to its present site by a large truck and crane. The work was funded by a National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...
, Art in Public Places grant that was given to the city in 1974. Other funding sources included the City of Eugene, Lane Community College, Lane County, Oregon Arts Commission
The Oregon Arts Commission is a governor-appointed body of nine commissioners who allocate grants for artists based in the U.S. state of Oregon. It receives the bulk of its funding through the National Endowment for the Arts, the state, and the Or ...
, the Portland Art Museum
The Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon, United States, was founded in 1892, making it one of the oldest art museums on the West Coast and seventh oldest in the US. Upon completion of the most recent renovations, the Portland Art Museum becam ...
, and the University of Oregon.[
The work's condition was deemed "treatment needed" by Smithsonian's "]Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Save Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!) was a community-based effort to identify, document, and conserve outdoor sculpture in the United States. The program was initiated in 1989 and ended in 1999.
History
Save Outdoor Sculpture! was initiated by Herit ...
" program in August 1993. It was administered by the City of Eugene's Facility Management Division at that time. In August 2001, Eugene-based Saylor Painting Company treated the sculpture.[
]
See also
* 1974 in art
References
External links
Big Red – Eugene Oregon
at Waymarking
Bruce Beasley’s 'Big Red' Becomes Willing Participant of Occupy Eugene
(November 11, 2011), Occupy Eugene
Occupy Eugene was a collaboration that occurred in Eugene, Oregon based on the Occupy Wall Street movement which began in New York City on September 17, 2011. Occupy Eugene included peaceful protests and demonstrations. Protesters were concerne ...
{{Portal bar, Oregon, Visual arts
1974 establishments in Oregon
1974 sculptures
Abstract sculptures in Oregon
Outdoor sculptures in Eugene, Oregon
Steel sculptures in Oregon