Whistlestop for an Organ Teacher

Whistlestop for an Organ Teacher
The sculpture in 2015
Map
ArtistCris Bruch
Year2009 (2009)
TypeSculpture
MediumStainless steel
Dimensions3.2 m × 1.8 m × 0.94 m (127 in × 72 in × 37 in)
LocationPortland, Oregon, United States
Coordinates45°31′09″N 122°40′39″W / 45.51924°N 122.67744°W / 45.51924; -122.67744
OwnerCity of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection

Whistlestop for an Organ Teacher is an outdoor 2009 stainless steel sculpture by American artist Cris Bruch, located in Portland, Oregon.

Description and history

Plaque for the sculpture

Whistlestop was designed by Cris Bruch and completed in 2009. It is located at the intersection of Southwest 5th Avenue and Southwest Morrison Street in the Portland Transit Mall. The stainless steel sculpture depicts pipe organ components, specifically a windchest and three "fanciful" pipes.[1][2] It measures 127 inches (3.2 m) x 72 inches (1.8 m) x 37 inches (0.94 m) and weighs 1,200 pounds.[1][3] According to Bruch, it is intended to "evoke sound and provide a quiet moment in an urban streetscape, and the softly reflective surface picks up changes in light and color."[3][4] One contributor to Blog Down to Washington, a website curated by the University of Washington Alumni Association, described the sculpture as "curved and fluted pipes rising from a low box, also mitered and angled to appear sharp and otherworldly".[5]

The sculpture was commissioned by TriMet and was fabricated by the Seattle-based company Fabrication Specialties, Ltd.[1] It is part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council.[2]

Whistlestop has been included in at least one published walking tour of Portland.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Cris Bruch: Public Commissions: Whistlestop for an Organ Teacher, 2009". CrisBruch.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Whistlestop for an Organ Teacher, 2009". cultureNOW. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Public Art Search: Whistlestop for an Organ Teacher". Regional Arts & Culture Council. Archived from the original on May 12, 2019. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  4. ^ "Whistlestop for an Organ Teacher". Public Art Archive. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  5. ^ Flanders, Greg (December 14, 2011). "Public Art at the UW: Department of Forensic Morphology Annex, by Cris Bruch". Blog Down to Washington. University of Washington. Archived from the original on October 30, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  6. ^ Cook, Sybilla Avery (April 2, 2013). Walking Portland, Oregon. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 52. ISBN 9780762794119. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2014.