Ten-foot bronze statue of a bald eagle newest addition to Port run park
WASHOUGAL — The Port of Camas-Washougal unveiled its newest attraction at Waterfront Park on Wednesday morning: a 10-foot bronze statue of a bald eagle snatching a salmon in mid-air.
The statue was commissioned with help from the Washougal Arts and Culture Alliance (WACA). Bronze sculptor Heather Soderberg-Green, of Cascade Locks, created the life-like artwork. Entirely bronze, the eagle was sculpted in clay to create a mold, the mold was then filled with 2100 degree molten bronze, allowed to cool, sand blasted, and then painted in detail.
“Public art enriches a community,” said Joyce Lindsay, previous member of Washougal City Council and current board member with WACA. “It changes people’s thinking, and brings in some of the art with the natural beauty. It’s a connection, and it’s permanent.”
The bronze eagle sits in the southwest corner of Waterfront Park, overlooking the Columbia River.
Wilson Cady of the Vancouver Audubon Society, spoke on the appropriateness of the statue being a bald eagle. The area surrounding Washougal is one of best places to spot bald eagles in southwest Washington, he said.
Along with Cady, executive director for The Port of Camas-Washougal, Dave Ripp, also spoke at the dedication ceremony.
“We are very excited to bring to the community this beautiful bronze sculpture,” Ripp said in a press release earlier this month. “Art is such an integral part of our community and its rich history.”
