State Seashell

Title: State Seashell
LC Subject: Sculpture--Themes, motives Bronze Etching Medallions (Decorative arts) Shells bronze (metal) medallions (ornament areas) etching (corroding)
Creator: Cunningham, Dennis, 1949-
Description: State Seashell (Oregon Hairy Triton) is one in a series of seventeen bronze medallions that depict icons of the state of Oregon. The "Oregon Hairy Triton" (Fusitriton oregonesis) was declared the state seashell in1989 by the Sixty-fifth Legislative Assembly of Oregon. This mollusk member of the Gastropod Class (snails, slugs, welks, abalones) grows to about 5 inches long. It is a light brown and covered with gray-brown bristles, hence the name "hairy." The shell is basically an elongate cone wound around an axis. In 1848, a conchologist named Redfield named the Fusitriton oregonensis after the Oregon Territory. The shell is the only one that shares the name of a state, and is one of only three in the world named after a location. The shells are found from Alaska to California and wash up on the Oregon coast at high tide. State Library; #19; Desk; D.L. Cunningham The Oregon Arts Commission has ten Regional Arts Councils that provide delivery of art services and information. The Council for this location is: Mid-Valley Arts. You may view their website at: http://www.oregonlink.com/arts/index.html
Location: Oregon State Library >> Marion County >> Oregon >> United States Marion County >> Oregon >> United States
Street Address: 250 Winter St NE, Salem Oregon
Award Date: 2000
Identifier: 2000_salem_state-library_01_b09
Accession Number: 2000_salem_state-library_01_b09
Rights: In Copyright
Dc Rights Holder: Cunningham, Dennis
Type: Image
Format: image/tiff
Measurements: 16 x 16 x 1.5 inches
Material: Three-quarter inch plywood was attached to the wall as backing board for the bronze medallions, which were held in place during installation with a thin layer of silicone caulking. Countersunk screws hold the frames, which were specially designed and manufactured for this installation, and the medallions in place on the wall. Sculpture etched bronze with wood frame
Set: Oregon Percent for Art
Primary Set: Oregon Percent for Art
Relation: 2000 Salem State Library 2000_salem_state-library
Has Version: slide; color
Institution: Oregon Arts Commission University of Oregon
Note: This series of polished granite panels have been sandblasted with designs representing various people and cultures that have been influential in shaping the state of Oregon. Cunningham's work also includes thirteen medallions located in the north and south corridors on the second floor. The artist's object for this project was to bring together aspects regarding the nature of the library with compelling images and designs that represent the character of the state. Born and raised in Oregon, Dennis Cunninham is a graduate of the Pacific Northwest College of Art, a founding member of the Blackfish Gallery, the oldest artist' cooperative on the west coast, and an instructor at Marylhurst University. (documentation provided by OAC, 2000) second floor lobby
Color Space: RGB
Biographical Information: As an artist, and as an Oregonian, the Library project was a perfect fit for me from beginning to end. The scope of the work, the schedule, and the subject suited me very well. I see it as a milestone group of works in my career, and I am grateful for it. I enjoyed the entire process. I found each experience to be fair, thoughtful, and enormously challenging and satisfying. From the artist's competition through the rededication of the building, everyone I worked with on the project was innovative and effective in helping to make the project a success. I found the artwork to be personally meaningful and a pleasure to create. My hope is that everyone visiting the library will find it's new decorations worthy of the building's purpose.