Town's Main Street Serves as Outdoor Art Gallery
Magnificent Bronze Sculptures Line Highway Through Joseph, Oregon
Apr 16, 2009
Joseph is a small town, tucked away in a corner of northeastern Oregon on the road to nowhere. Indeed, the main road through town ends less than 10 miles away at Wallowa Lake State Park. The area is known for its scenic beauty with the majestic Wallowa Mountains earning the nickname, “Switzerland of Oregon.” Joseph sits at the gateway to the Eagle Cap Wilderness and Hells Canyon Recreation Area. People used to drive through Joseph on their way to other activities, maybe stopping for a few last-minute supplies. Now they have reason to stop.
The sculptures living both sides of Main Street for a three-block area are nothing short of spectacular. The pieces all related to Joseph’s heritage. There are cowboys and Indians, and magnificently muscled wild animals. Joseph is named after Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe and is buried just outside of the town.
Amazing Bronze Sculptures Grew Out of Revitalization Project
The sculptures are a result of a revitalization project began when the timber economy started going down the tube a two or three decades ago. This was about the time that artists began moving into the area, attracted and inspired by the natural scenic beauty. Then the state highway department decided to redo Joseph’s Main Street, which was a state highway.
The town sprang into action. Committees were formed, and came up with the idea of redoing the town sidewalks into broad, cobblestone walkways punctuated with rustic planters filled with boulders, pine trees and the bronze sculptures. The city went after grant money, receiving about $3.6 million from various state and federal agencies, according to a 2005 article in the LaGrande Observer, a nearby daily paper.
Seven local artists donated labor for the initial seven sculptures (there are 15 pieces now), and a foundry donated labor for casting. Grant money paid for the casting materials.
Artists Are World Famous
The artists may have been local, but their reputation extends throughout the world. David Manual is the authorized sculptor for John Wayne Enterprises, and has also done work for the U.S. Marshals Bicentennial. Dennis Jones has been named artist of the year by several wildlife foundations. Valley Bronze, which did the casting work for this project, has also done the casting for bronze statues in Houston, Texas, and Berlin, Germany, among other places.
Limited editions of the statues were made available for public sale. One Joseph gallery’s web site notes thesequickly sold out and are rarely available on the secondary market. Another gallery’s site notes that Shelley S. Curtiss’ bronze cougar is available for $38,500!
Street Designated as Art Walk
The part of Main Street that contains the sculptures is called “Art Walk.” The best way to view the sculptures is to park the car, then walk down one side of the street and up the other. It is a very inspiring walk.
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