''Leland I'', sometimes stylized as ''Leland 1'' or ''Leland #1'', is an outdoor 1975 sculpture by

Lee Kelly Lee Kelly (May 24, 1932 – March 28, 2022) was an American sculptor who has more than 30 sculptures on display between Eugene, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. Kelly has been called "Oregon's sculptor". Personal life Born in rural McCall in ...

and

Bonnie Bronson Bonnie Bronson (1940–1990) was an American painter and sculptor and one of Portland, Oregon's most prominent artists during the 1970s–1980s. Randal Davis said that her work showed "an abiding love for the sheer beauty of materials and a fasci ...

, installed in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

, United States.

Description and history

''Leland I'' was designed by

and

, and marked one of the former's first large scale public artworks.''Art Notes'': * * In addition, Ron Travers from the architectural firm Travers-Johnston served as architect and Robert Gardner from the McArthur/Gardner Partnership served as landscape architect. Pioneer Enamel was the contractor and David Cotter was an assistant. The welded Cor-Ten steel and vitrified porcelain sculpture was completed during 1973–1975 and installed in the American Plaza Towers courtyard (called American Plaza), at the intersection of Southwest 2nd Avenue and Lincoln Street, in 1975, having been commissioned and funded by the Portland Development Commission. Leland I plaque, Portland (2015) - 2

The abstract, geometric sculpture is constructed from three square and rectangular forms. Overall, the installation measures approximately x x and weighs . Its pieces measure x x (east), x x (middle), and x x (west), respectively. The installation features lighting also designed by the artists. ''Leland I'' was surveyed and considered "treatment needed" by the 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 January 1994. In 2010, it was restored to address structural issues and saved from deaccession. Funding for the conservation efforts was provided by the

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 ...

, the

Regional Arts & Culture Council The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) is an organization that administers arts grants in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties that also do advocacy in the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon, United States. It evolved from the city� ...

, residents of the American Plaza Towers, and Kelly patrons.

Reception

According to the Regional Arts & Culture Council, which administers the work, the sculpture is considered a "seminal" piece in the City of Portland's public art collection. It has been called "temple-like" by ''art ltd.'' magazine and "striking" by the

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 ...

References

{{Public art in Portland, Oregon 1975 establishments in Oregon 1975 sculptures Abstract sculptures in Oregon Collaborative projects Outdoor sculptures in Portland, Oregon Porcelain sculptures Sculptures by Lee Kelly Southwest Portland, Oregon Steel sculptures in Oregon

Description and history

Reception

See also

References