Linda Tesner
public art
The selection of artwork for public spaces presents unique challenges for any number of reasons. I have significant experience in navigating these complexities and embrace the process. My first immersive experience with managing public art involved project-managing the commission of two monumental cast bronze sculptures by John Buck, designed for the entrance to the Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art at Lewis & Clark College. Music in the Sky and The Hawk and the Dove (1999) were selected from carved-wood maquettes and fabricated by Walla Walla Foundry. These sculptures remain beloved landmarks on the Lewis & Clark College campus.
John Buck, Music in the Sky (1999), cast bronze
From 2005 through 2009, I chaired Tri-Met's Art Committee which, over those four years, commissioned new work and acquired an outdoor sculpture collection that graces the MAX Light Rail system between Union Station and Portland State University. (A guide to the Tri-Met art collection on that line can be seen here.) I also served on the Public Art Advisory Committee of the Regional Arts and Culture Council for ten years, a role which contributed to Portland’s rich visual landscape. Additionally, I have volunteered on numerous juries to select site-specific public art commissions.
Christine Bourdette, Cairns (2008), slate
The public art project of which I am most proud is Alison Saar’s sculpture memorializing York, the enslaved African servant who accompanied William Clark on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. When Lewis & Clark College in Portland committed itself to funding an artwork honoring York’s contribution to the Corps of Discovery, I was appointed chair of the artist selection committee. Saar’s resultant outdoor sculpture, York: Terra Incognita (2011), became both a lightning rod and a lighthouse for the Lewis & Clark community to address the systemic racism that permeates American history.
Alison Saar, York: Terra Incognita (2010), cast bronze
I work with corporations and architectural firms to select private art commissions for public spaces; most recently, with Standard Insurance and GBD Architects, both of Portland, to commission four monumental paintings by Michelle Ross for the Standard Insurance Building in downtown Portland.
