The sculptures are part of a larger installation titled ‘The Columbia’ that has been located at the Portland International Airport since 2001
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver City Council recently accepted a donation by the Port of Portland of four sculptural pieces by nationally recognized artist Larry Kirkland.
The sculptures are part of a larger installation titled “The Columbia” that has been located at the Portland International Airport since 2001. The city of Vancouver was contacted by the Port of Portland about the donation after it was determined that some of the pieces from the installation would not be included in an upcoming terminal expansion.
The four large-scale interactive artworks celebrate the Columbia River and are collectively valued at $45,500. The artworks are expected to be transferred to Vancouver later this summer. They include:
• Two fish made of Brazilian quartzite, which will be installed at the city’s Water Resources Education Center (4600 S.E. Columbia Way)
• One bridge made of Indian granite and Italian marble, which will be installed at City Hall (415 W. Sixth St.)
• One boat made of Indian granite and Italian marble, which will be loaned to the Cascade Park branch of Fort Vancouver Regional Library (600 N.E. 136th Ave.)
The four pieces will complement other water-themed art created by Kirkland located in Vancouver, most notably the Grant Street Pier and the “Headwaters” Columbia River water feature, both located at Vancouver Waterfront Park (695 Waterfront Way).
The Port of Portland will assist with some moving costs, with the city covering the remaining cost of moving and installation, estimated to be $4,000-$6,000 for all four pieces.
Prior to seeking city council approval, the proposed donation was reviewed by the city’s Public Art Committee and then recommended for acceptance into the city’s public art collection by the Culture, Art and Heritage Commission per the city’s donation acceptance policy. Vancouver City Council voted to accept the donation on May 24, 2021.
Information provided by city of Vancouver.
