A new roundabout art installation in Bend is going up.
Artists are getting to work on the display in the RAB at NE 27th Street, Empire Avenue and Butler Market Road. It’s called Golden Squirrel’s Wondrous World.
Michael Stutz proposed the sculpture to Bend’s Art in Public Places.
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Here’s how AIPP describes it.
The woven steel wheel connects the timber mills from Bend’s past, the rolling wheels of cars, and a hamster wheel— humorously representing the routine of daily life. Inside the wheel are silicon bronze strips in blue and green hues where the sunlight will sparkle through the openings. The circle of life center curves out like a partial globe, evoking the waters of the Deschutes River and our blue Earth. Atop the 24 ft. sculpture will be playful golden squirrel offering a striking presence above the traffic signs and cars at this busy roundabout.
“This sculpture playfully celebrates the region’s connection to nature, and the familiar routine of peoples’ daily lives. I am honored to have my art become a part of your exceptional community in Bend,” Stutz said in a statement last summer when the art was chosen.
