Two Public Art Statues Installed in Newberg; Four More Coming Soon

Downtown trick-or-treaters may have noticed a new friend sitting in the middle of Butler Square as they walked business-to-business in search of candy from local businesses: a whimsical bronze mouse with its nose pointed proudly in the air.

Then, on Thursday, November 16, a small group gathered at Memorial Park to install a colorful, light-up pegasus statue made of plexiglass from an artist in Santa Cruz, Calif.

The Mouse and Pegasus, names to be determined, are the first five public sculpture installments coordinated by the Newberg Public Art Council (NPAC), a branch of the Newberg Downtown Coalition, formed in 2019.

“There were people in the community who wanted to install public art,” said NPAC Chair Terry Emery. “But there wasn’t really a pathway or process to install with the city. The Public Art Council was formed to define that process and work with the city to bring beauty into our community.”

The organization was just getting started when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down businesses, forcing the public art initiative to take a back seat.

Then, the world opened back up, and things started moving again in 2023. Funded by a $15,000 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant, the NPAC broke ground on five cement platforms around town — one at Butler Square (bronze mouse), one at Memorial Park (plexiglass pegasus), one outside the library facing the Cultural Center, one outside Critter Cabana on E. 1st Street, and one outside Steve’s Auto Service on E Hancock and N Meridian Streets. One more platform was added outside Want & Emery CPAs on E. 1st Street and Main St. for a total of six platforms.

The NPAC then solicited artists to fill the space with their works. NPAC had a preference for local artists but opened the call to statewide and regional artists when there were few entries. The selection committee — made up of representatives from NPAC, the City of Newberg, the Cultural Center, George Fox University, and local artists — sifted through the entries to narrow down to the final pieces. 

Being outdoor public art, the sculptures have to be resilient, tamper-resistant, safe (no sharp edges), and weather-resistant. The committee was also looking for pieces that were fun, light, sweet, and whimsical — art that inspires joy around town.

NPAC knew one statue that fit that category before they even broke ground: the bronze mouse statue now installed at Butler Square.

“NPAC has been planning to install the mouse as soon as we had a place for it,” said Crystal Trice, Public Arts Manager for NDC. “Scott and Loni Parrish committed this sculpture a couple of years ago from their private collection to help get the Public Sculpture Program started.”

The mouse, crafted by Whidbey Island, Washington-based bronze sculpture artist Georgia Gerber, is part of a trio called ‘Boys Night Out” previously on display at The Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg. Gerber’s art is featured all around the Northwest as public sculptures, including current installations in McMinnville and Portland.

“It’s a playful piece of art that we hope brings joy to those who interact with it,” Trice said. “Georgia’s work often draws people in to get a closer look, to maybe touch the soft round shapes that make up the cheerful critter and even get a selfie with it.”

The community interacted with the mouse to that exact effect on Halloween this year when the little figure donned a pirate’s hat with a trick-or-treat bag hanging from its paw. Since Halloween ended, the mouse has been surrounded by miniature pumpkins.

“It’s just a happy piece,” said NDC Board President and City Councilor Molly Olson. “I think everyone can use a bit more happiness in their lives.”

NPAC hopes these art installations will be part of the fabric of the Newberg community during the sculptures’ two-year tenure. To that end, NPAC is hoping the Newberg Community can come up with creative, fun names for each of the installed sculptures and will send out for community responses to name the sculptures in the next few weeks.

“We’re going to see these every day we come through downtown,” Olson said. “They’re like our neighbors. We’ve already heard some fun names (for the mouse), so we thought we’d bring the community in and give it a name together.”

On Thursday, November 16, a crew installed the second public art sculpture: a plexiglass pegasus at Memorial Park. During the day, the pegasus stands as a friendly welcome right next to benches in the park. At night, the statue comes alive with glowing elements that highlight its colorful “wings.”

The rest of the statues will be installed over the next months, with any located on Highway 99W requiring ODOT approval before installation.

All of the public art statues in Newberg will be for sale for their tenure, except for the bronze mouse statue — which is on loan from the Parrish family. The statues will stay in place for two years, at which point NPAC will call for new artists to submit their work and choose replacements for each location.

“Newberg is really an art town,” Emery said. “We are in the middle of wine country; we have this incredible Cultural Center. Between those lives a vibrant arts community that we can nurture and encourage.”

Learn more about the Newberg Public Art Council at their website.