Take a shine to this piece

Visitors to the Oregon Coast now have a new opportunity to reflect on art, following the installation of a striking, stainless steel sculpture on the front lawn of the Lincoln City Cultural Center.

Drivers traveling along Highway 101 were the first to see this long-awaited artwork by Portland/New York-based artist Pete Beeman. Commissioned by the City of Lincoln City on the recommendation of the Lincoln City Public Art Committee and using the City’s Percent for Art program, the piece arrived on Nov. 16. 

Assisted by unseasonably dry and sunny weather, Beeman and his crew of two were able to complete the installation by the end of the day on Saturday, Nov. 19. The official dedication ceremony is scheduled for early 2023. 

Beeman’s work is the first public art installation of the planned Lincoln City Cultural Plaza, which will redevelop the 2.5 acres around the historic Delake School. The 2023 Plaza construction project will surround the Beeman sculpture with a pedestrian “node” with seating and ADA access. The site improvements will raise the base to the same elevation as the sculpture’s four “feet,” and future visitors will be able to reach and move the center circle.

The piece also features a local touch: two custom, colorful glass inserts made by glass artist Kelly Howard and the Lincoln City Glass Studio team. 

This installation is the culmination of several years of work by the City of Lincoln City, and the council-appointed Public Art Committee. The process began in 2018, when the committee created a new Public Art Master Plan that featured a set of goals, among them being the installation of a “monumental” work that would be engaging and delightful, in a highly visible and convenient public location. 

In 2019, the committee recommended the site, the Lincoln City Cultural Center, and gave direction for the City to issue a Request for Proposals for an original commission.

“In total, about 400 people weighed in on our selection of the artist, during the process in 2020,” said committee chair Niki Price. “An overwhelming majority voted for the work of Pete Beeman. Our committee members felt the same, so the decision was easy. We felt confident that Pete understood the site and our community and was ready to create something fantastic.” 

The Lincoln City Cultural Center is located at 540 NE Hwy. 101 and is open from 10 am to 4 pm, Thursday through Sunday.

For more information, go to lincolncity-culturalcenter.org or call 541-994-9994.