Charles Frederic Swigert Jr. Memorial Fountain

Last updated

Charles Frederic Swigert Jr. Memorial Fountain
Charles Frederic Swigert Jr. Memorial Fountain
Artist Richard Beyer
Year1983 (1983)
TypeSculpture
Medium
Dimensions1.5 m× 6.1 m× 2.1 m(5 ft× 20 ft× 7 ft)
Condition"Treatment needed" (1994)
Location Portland, Oregon, United States
Coordinates 45°30′34″N122°42′53″W / 45.50950°N 122.71463°W / 45.50950; -122.71463
Owner Oregon Zoo

Charles Frederic Swigert Jr. Memorial Fountain is an outdoor 1983 bronze and stone fountain and sculpture by American artist Richard Beyer, installed at the Oregon Zoo in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was donated by Christine Swigert in memory of her husband Charles F. Swigert Jr.

Contents

Description

The figure group, installed at the Oregon Zoo, depicts a man talking to a standing female child and several animals, [1] including an ape, a lion or cougar, a monkey, and a family of wolves (including a cub). The man is shown with a monkey behind him and a lion and wolf cub at his feet. [2] The installation measures approximately 5 feet (1.5 m) x 20 feet (6.1 m) x 7 feet (2.1 m). [2] The Oregonian has described the appearance of one of the wolves as "friendly". [3] Accompanying the fountain is a plaque that reads:

THE / CHARLES FREDERIC SWIGERT JR. / MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN / GIVEN BY CHRISTINE SWIGERT / IN MEMORY OF HER HUSBAND. / BESIDE THE WATER / LIFE AND THE WORLD CAN BE FOUND / I THINK OF A FRIEND / SCULPTURE BY RICH BEYER / DEDICATED ON AUGUST 1, 1983 [2]

History

After committee consideration by the regional government agency Metro, [4] the memorial was created by artist Richard Beyer and dedicated on August 1, 1983. [5] It was a gift of Christine Swigert in memory of her husband Charles Frederic Swigert Jr., [2] son of Charles F. Swigert. The privately funded [6] sculpture cost $231,000. [7] Its condition was deemed "treatment needed" by the Smithsonian Institution's "Save Outdoor Sculpture!" program in February 1994. [2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Zoo piece". The Oregonian. Vol. 133. August 2, 1983. Children swarm over new sculpture by Rich Beyer of Seattle at unveiling Monday in Washington Park Zoo, as Joe Mitch wheels Ernest G. Swigert in for a closer look. Sculpture and fountain courtyard were commissioned as memorial to the late C.F. Swigert, Ernest's brother and president of Esco Corp., by his widow, Christine. Sculpture depicts cougar, family of wolves, old man and little girl.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Charles Frederic Swigert Jr. Memorial Fountain, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  3. ↑ Brinkley, Pam (June 1, 1984). "Children roar with delight through the zoo". The Oregonian. p. 28.
  4. ↑ "Agenda: Regular Council Meeting". Metropolitan Service District. February 24, 1983.
  5. ↑ "Gallery Guide: Openings". The Oregonian. July 29, 1983. p. 128.
  6. ↑ "City Club of Portland Bulletin". p. 333 – via Oregon Sustainable Community Digital Library.
  7. ↑ "Recent years bring new exhibits, improvements". The Oregonian. June 14, 1987. p. 160.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.