“Memoir of a Redwood”: Local Artist Carves New Life into Beloved Tree

NEWBERG, Ore. — Earlier this month, a remnant of the Memorial Park redwood tree was transformed into a wood sculpture celebrating both the tree and the surrounding community.

Newberg-based wood sculptor Reid Knake, owner of Stonebender Creations, carved a slab of the coastal redwood—felled in Memorial Park in 2024—into a new sculpture titled Memoir of a Redwood.

The piece is now part of the Newberg Public Art Council’s collection of public artwork. Carved directly into the preserved trunk of the iconic tree, Memoir of a Redwood stands as a tribute to its long history in the park.

On April 9, 2024, the city contracted the removal of the redwood after its roots compromised underground stormwater infrastructure, sparking months of public conversation about tree preservation and infrastructure safety.

While the decision to remove the tree was met with strong emotions, the city preserved portions of the lumber for community projects. A large slab was converted into a bench by Newberg High School students and is currently on display at City Hall.

Knake said his wife, Julene, learned about the available tree section and brought it to his attention.

“I told [my wife] I’d be willing to do it for free,” Knake said. “I’m new to the area, and why not just give the city something here, right? Here I am.”

Terry Emery, president of the Newberg Public Art Council, said the group had hoped to find a woodworker to carve a design into the tree but first needed to raise funds.

“We were thrilled when Stonebender reached out to us,” Emery said. “They were eager to give something back to our community—they came to us at a really great time.”

A self-taught sculptor who transitioned from construction and farming, Knake started Stonebender Creations just over a year ago after being inspired by another large redwood stump he saw while driving through McMinnville.

“It was another coastal redwood, which really shouldn’t have been there,” he said. “I literally quit my job to carve that one. While doing that, people saw my work and started contacting me, and it just took off.”

He now works full time carving custom pieces with chainsaws. When preparing for a project, he said he visualizes a three-dimensional outline of the material, then draws the image within it. For him, the process is intuitive—just removing what doesn’t belong.

“There’s a lot of awe,” Knake said. “I ask people all the time, ‘Do you do math?’ Because I can’t do math. People who do math are Gandalf to me. I can’t see numbers, but I can see pictures.”

Memoir of a Redwood depicts three children from a bygone era—complete with wide-brim hats and period clothing—playing in a circle around a dog, evoking memories of the childhood game Ring Around the Rosie. The imagery, Knake said, was inspired by public park sculptures he studied and the idea of capturing the tree’s memories.

“If the work is memory and the tree is memory, then maybe this is what the tree saw in its earlier days,” he said. “Pilgrims walking through the park and hanging out with their dog.”

Emery said she was especially impressed by the sculpture’s dimensional quality, though its central location might mean the full design is only visible from certain angles.

“This went way above and beyond my expectations,” she said. “We were very lucky to have them reach out to us.”

Knake said he has already received local interest in new projects, including a nearby request for a 15-foot Bigfoot carving.

More of Knake’s work is available at stonebendercreations.com, where residents can also reach out for commissions.

This is the fifth public art sculpture installed by the Newberg Public Art Council using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, which covered the cost of the concrete pads where the statues sit.

Memoir of a Redwood joins the Butler Property Mouse, a bronze fox in front of Critter Cabana, a pegasus between the library and cultural center, and an Argonauta outside Want CPA. The final sculpture will be placed outside Steve’s Auto at First and Meridian.

Learn more at the Newberg Public Art Council’s website.