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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

New Public Art Under Consideration

Beginning in the foreground (on desk) and moving left to right, the art is: “Shared Wisdom,” by William Simmons; “Vitality Handed Down,” by Jason Sanchez; “Chief Morris Antelope,” by Cheryl Metcalf; “Mother and Child,” by Gareth Curtiss; and “Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribal,” by Jeff May.

A new piece of public art with a Native American theme will soon grace the bank of the Spokane River on the Higher Education Campus. Five pieces of art, all submitted regional artists, are under consideration and are currently on display at the Coeur d’Alene Library, 702 E. Front Ave. Final selection of the art will be a cooperative effort involving the tribe, city, and North Idaho College. However, officials will consider public comment in their decision making process. The art will be on display at the library through Wednesday before being moved to North Idaho College. After that, the art will move to the Coeur d’Alene Tribe reservation. Comment sheets are provided and the public is encouraged to express their opinion on each piece. Through its public arts fund, the city has budgeted $45,000 for the art, which is expected to be installed sometime after Labor Day on the campus alongside the Centennial Trail near the river. In addition to the artwork, the tribe may finance an informational kiosk to be situated nearby that will provide details on the tribe’s rich history. The site is on the tribe’s ancestral grounds/Keith Erickson, Coeur d'Alene Today.

Question: It's hard to tell unless you see them live ... but which public art piece above catches your fancy, for placement along the Spokane River in the North Idaho College area?



D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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