The Oregon International Sculpture Symposium 1974, Eugene, Oregon, U.S.A.

Leonardo, Vol. 8, pp. 332-334. Pergamon Press 1975. Printed in Great Britain THE OREGON INTERNATIONAL SCULPTURE SYMPOSIUM 1974, EUGENE, OREGON, U.S.A. Jan Zach* and Hope Hughes Pressman** 1. Introduction The Oregon International Sculpture Symposium was held at Eugene, Oregon, U.S.A., from 15June to I August 1974. My (J.Z.) idea for such a Symposium was based on the experience of the International Sculpture Symposium organized by the Austrian sculptor Karl Prantl at St. Margarethen near Vienna in 1959. Israeli sculptor Kosso Eloul has described Prantl’s event as follows: ‘ . . . in an abandoned stone quarry in Austria, the first International Sculpture Symposium began with a few sculptors who realized that sculpture and space are inseparable. These sculptors worked for the experience of creating forms outside a studio environment. They worked, not for commission, not for a client, but only for the opportunity to relearn how sunlight and space combine with form to create the environment of the monumental. The sculpture was carved from the quarry stone and left in the quarry as a collection’ [I]. Reports in Leonardo on other international sculpture events can be found in Refs. 2, 3, 4 and 5. While in Europe for the Venice Biennial in the summer of 1964, I asked a number of sculptors if they would be interested in participating in an Oregon Sculpture Symposium similar to that organized by Prantl and I found that they favored the idea. I also obtained encouraging responses from sculptors in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Mexico, of whom I had become aware during my sojourn of 12 years in Latin America. The Pan American Union and the National Sculpture Center at the University of Kansas were helpful in providing me with addresses of other sculptors. The advice given to me by Mathias Goeritz, who organized the international sculpture event ‘The Route of Friendship’ in Mexico City in 1968, was particularly valuable [3]. My first effort was to organize the Symposium under the auspices of the University of Oregon but in 1969 I learned that the University could not provide the necessary money. After the gradual enlistment of a number of supporters of the project, however, by 1974we were able to collect $145,500. The following four sponsors provided $20,000each, for which each chose one of the sculptors, whose work made during the Symposium,each could place at a public location: the city of Eugene, Eugene Renewal Agency, Lane Community College and the University of Oregon. A grant of $45,000 under the Works of Art in Public Places Program of the U.S.A. National Endowment for the Arts made it possible for Mt. Hood Community College near Portland, Oregon, and Alton Baker Park in Eugene, Lane County, choose a sculptor whose work they would place. Additional funds, facilities, materials and services were also contributed by private donors. 2. Organizationof the Symposium Administrative and business matters were handled by the Planning Committee of the Northwest Sculpture Advocates (NSA), Inc., with me (H.H.P.) as Project Director. With the help of a volunteer attorney, NSA entered into contracts with the participating artists and with the sponsors who were to receive a work executed during the Symposium. The primary site for the work of the sculptors was at an underdeveloped portion of the Alton Baker Park. Sculptors requiring indoor facilities and special industrial equipment worked at Lane Community College. The Sculpture Department at the University of Oregon also provided additional facilities and equipment. Each sculptor invited to participate in the Symposium was offered an honorarium of $15,000, a per diem of $25 for six weeks, materials and tools needed and assistants to help with the execution of his work. The material selected for a work by a sculptor was subject to approval by the sponsor who was to receive the work and by Northwest Sculpture Advocates. * Sculptor living at 25113 Lamb Road, Elmira, OR 97437, U.S.A. ** Northwest Sculpture Advocates, Inc., 111 Susan Campbell Hall, University o f Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, U.S.A. (Received 1 Feb. 1975.) 3. Selection of participating sculptors and assistants In 1969 an Advisory Committee was appointed by me (J.Z.) to draw...