Percent for Art Funded
The artwork for the Eugene Farmers Market Pavilion focuses on the contours of the Willamette River. The river is the primary feature of the Willamette Valley landscape and most, if not all, of the produce and goods offered at the Farmers market are produced within the Willamette River Basin. People have been dependent on this river for water, food, transportation and more since humans settled in the region over 14,000 years ago, and it remains a source of dependence and change. As it continually flows north towards the Columbia, the volume changes drastically between seasons and the course has altered over generations and centuries. It is always there, but never the same.
This artwork began as a small drawing. Water from the Willamette River was mixed with pigments from crushed stones and earth sourced within the Willamette River basin. The drawing was expanded in scale and the course of the Willamette River was left flowing through the drawing from left to right. The design was translated into mirrored aluminum, a material that responds to light, movement, and change, similar to the river the artwork references and is created from.
Background
The City of Eugene issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) from experienced artists or artist-teams eligible to contract with City of Eugene to create public works of art in and around the new Farmers Market Pavilion. The Farmers Market Pavilion is located at 8th Avenue and Oak Street. The all-inclusive budget for this work was $78,000 and was divided to commission multiple artists. The deadline for submissions was April 23, 2021.
The new Farmers Market Pavilion (FMP) is a permanent structure that allows the market to operate year-round; later phases of the project will include a new City Hall and improvements to the existing Park Blocks (south of 8th Ave). The Lane County Farmers Market returned to Eugene’s Park Blocks in the 1970s and has become a vital source of quality local produce and a cornerstone of downtown activity. While the Farmers Market has maximized use of the existing space, the configuration and limitations of the site make it difficult for the market to grow and reach its full potential. For many years, the Farmers Market has expressed a need and desire to establish a larger and more prominent, year-round market in downtown. The new Farmers Market Pavilion is a permanent structure that will allow the market to operate year-round along with a new City Hall and improvements to the existing Park Blocks.
Project Goals
This project offers an exciting opportunity for artists to create site-specific works that are iconic, enliven the space for the community and contribute to a sense of belonging in Eugene and beyond. Artists awarded the commission will be asked to produce a site-specific concept representing their interpretation of potential themes established by the Public Art Selection Committee which include:
• Celebration and Acknowledgement of the Land/Willamette Valley/Water/River
• History/Bounty/Agriculture/Farmers
• Culturally Diverse/Inclusive Communities/Connections
