Four new sculptures now stand in downtown Philomath and represent the first works installed under the city’s temporary public art pilot program. Two come from Philomath artists — one built from ferro cement and drawn from Kalapuya inspiration, the other forged from steel and rooted in a childhood dream — while two more arrive courtesy of out-of-town finalists selected alongside them.
The city launched the pilot in June 2026 as part of its fiscal 2025-26 strategic priorities with the goal of activating public spaces, engaging residents with art and gathering practical experience to guide a long-term public art plan. Nine artists submitted proposals; a committee narrowed the field to four finalists, two of them Philomath residents.
All four sculptures are now installed downtown, where they’ll remain through June 2028 — including work from local artists Vicki Wilson and Peter Nichols, along with two out-of-town finalists.
The program ran on a city budget of $20,000 and came in under that with final costs landing at $13,000.
A sculptor’s tribute to the land
Wilson, owner of Slipstream Clay Studio on Main Street, submitted “Mary: She Goes by Many Names,” a ferro-cement sculpture installed between 1233 and 1245 Main Street. Her inspiration came from the Kalapuya people, blending the female figure with nature and spirituality.
When Wilson was young, she was a sculptor’s apprentice to a Muskogee Creek woman, so she holds a special reverence for the people who were here before us. Wilson emphasized that her creative endeavors are heavily based on themes of nature and that nature can be observed in more ways than one.
When describing her sculpture, Wilson said, “She’s called Mary from Marys Peak, then there’s Marys River below. But she’s also the sister of the hills, she’s the daughter of the ocean and she’s the mother of the valley.”
Wilson said the roughly 400-pound, hollow sculpture was originally going to include ceramic tile accents, but she decided against it, returning instead to the medium she started with.
“I was a sculptor a long time before I was a ceramic artist,” she said, noting that welding, bronze work and figure sculpture were among her earliest disciplines. Without access to a kiln, ferro cement offered a practical way to build lasting figurative work.
It’s the sixth sculpture of this size Wilson has completed. She spent about 90 hours on Mary over 12 weeks, dedicating one day a week to the project alongside her studio work.
“You set up a schedule and work, just like any other job,” she said.
Wilson said her decision to submit came down to her connection to Philomath.
“I love my home, I love my place and I love this place,” she said. “I’m not going anywhere, so I might as well just start digging in.”
A childhood dream, forged in steel
Nichols, a local contractor and artist, installed “Spring in the Valley” at the corner of 10th and Applegate streets. The piece bends and twists metal to look as though it grew straight from the ground — an idea Nichols said came from watching how nature draws the eye, the way a campfire can hold someone’s attention for hours.
Built through forging — mostly welding, then heating and bending thicker rods with a blowtorch — the sculpture took Nichols roughly 40 to 50 hours to complete, or about a full week of work. Before meeting with the Philomath Art Committee, he had only a concept and a miniature copper-wire diorama to show for it.
“Probably 80% was actually fabricating, and 20% was sketching, modeling, thinking about what I wanted to do,” he said.
The project gave Nichols a rare chance to bring an artistic touch to his contracting work, which includes the iron vine shelving at Imagine Coffee Co. and earlier work at the Dizzy Hen, both on Main Street.
“This opportunity was actually really exciting because not every project allows me to add my own artistic touch,” he said. “I got to make whatever I wanted.”
Nichols grew up in a family where art and music were part of daily life — his father did contracting on the side, and his mother had a background in graphic design.
“I think that was just culturally in our family. Saturdays were always art days,” he said.
The idea traces back to his childhood, when his mother sent him the link to the city’s call for submissions.
“When I was 14, I was drawing sketches of things that I wanted to submit to our city — like, hey, could we do this, could I build this sculpture here?” Nichols recalled. “This actually has been a childhood dream.”
Nichols said he’s considering submitting to future rotating art exhibits.
Two more finalists round out the program
The pilot includes two additional sculptures from artists outside Philomath.
Jennifer Kapnek, a Portland-based artist, installed an aluminum, acrylic and steel piece called “Ascending Descent” between 1035 and 1101 Main Street. According to an artist’s biography included in an online tour, Kapnek’s work explores botanical themes of growth, change and impermanence across painting, sculpture and public installations, ranging from intimate studio pieces to large-scale works. Kapnek has said she finds inspiration in nature’s refusal to pause — the way it continues to grow and shift regardless of what’s around it.
Kyle Ocean, a sculptor from Shelton, Washington, installed his steel sculpture “Mobalisk” at the corner of 13th and Applegate streets. Ocean’s concept-driven work centers on geographical exploration and public involvement, translating abstract drawing techniques into three-dimensional form. Mobalisk uses geometric forms in shifting states of equilibrium to explore the tension between chaos and harmony, inviting viewers to consider forces like gravity, momentum and intention — and to find stability amid disorder.
Rotating art exhibits typically remain in place for one to two years — Philomath’s current installations are set to stay up through June 30, 2028.
City officials say future rounds of the program could draw on a wider range of funding.
“Potential funding sources could include grants, donations, partnerships and other opportunities,” Assistant City Manager Chelsea Starner said.
The pilot is running alongside the city’s development of a formal Public Art Plan, which is expected to address long-term maintenance responsibilities for future artwork.
“The committee’s current focus is finalizing that plan, which will provide a framework for artwork selection, funding, maintenance and long-term planning,” Starner said. “With the Public Art Plan nearing completion, the city and Public Art Committee are establishing a framework to support future public art opportunities, strengthen community partnerships, and continue enhancing downtown and other public spaces in Philomath.”
