Project Background

In 2006 Oregon City officials recognized that time had left its mark on the Municipal Elevator. Mayor Alice Norris appointed the Oregon City Art Committee to review the challenges and recommend solutions. The Committee discovered that the tile surfaces of the fifty-one year old
lower-level tunnel leading to the Elevator cabin were in poor condition, and the tunnel lighting inadequate. Although the Deck paintings had been popular with residents and visitors, they had significantly deteriorated in their twenty-year lifetime. Condensation is a natural consequence of the Deck wall concrete and stucco construction. Because the paintings were made directly on the walls, constant moisture conditions caused the paint to peel, bubble, and crack over the years.

By May 2007, the Art Committee succeeded in raising $25,000 in grant funds to commission a new artwork for the Elevator. In preparation for installation of new art, the Deck paintings were photo-documented and removed from the walls.

The Committee set three Goals for the future artwork:

1. "Reference lesser-known stories about features within sight of the Elevator's Observation Deck to explain or interpret both the Elevator and the City's rich history and unique qualities"
2. "Support the Elevator's civic role as a gathering place for the pleasure of its residents, employees and visitors"
3. "Create an inviting, pleasant environment for this public space."