Public Art at Our Libraries

Juniper

John Grade · b. 1970, Minneapolis, MN · lives and works in Seattle, WA

Inspired by the expansion of western juniper trees and the contraction of glaciers within Deschutes County, the sculpture takes the form of an alpine valley conflated with concentric growth rings of a western juniper’s interior. At the top, an additional layer of forms evokes a retreating glacier and the alpine topography around South Sister Mountain.

CAMPER (welcome home rainbows) & CONDOR (pelicans on the interior)

Sara Siestreem (Hanis Coos) · b. 1976, Umpqua River Valley, OR

Sara Siestreem is a multidisciplinary artist from the Umpqua River Valley working in painting, photography, printmaking, weaving, and large-scale installation. She combines the ceremonial traditions of her ancestors with contemporary modes and materials at the intersection of social and ecological justice, education, and Indigenous feminism. She holds a BS from Portland State University (2005) and an MFA with distinction from the Pratt Institute (2007), and she founded a self-sustaining weaving program for the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians. She lives and works in Portland and is represented by Elizabeth Leach Gallery.

Servants of Humanity

Jeremy Okai Davis · b. Charlotte, NC · lives and works in Portland, OR

Combining portraiture, gestural mark-making, and symbolic imagery, the painting explores visibility, race, and civic engagement—centering Ophelia and Clarence Phelps with their daughter Rozelia and extended family, alongside Beatrice Morrow Cannady and J. W. Anderson, influential Black Oregonians who traveled to Bend in support of communities seeking greater connection and inclusion.

OCD / Open Closed Doors

Jason McNeal Graham (MOsley WOtta) · Bend, OR · Creative Laureate of Bend

An invitation into the nonlinear timeline of ancestry. Each panel is both an entry into and out of the realms of the non-ordinary. Welcome home.

Sarah Helen More

b. Hartford, CT · lives and works in Seattle, WA

Anis Mojgani

Originally from New Orleans · lives and works in Portland, OR · former Oregon Poet Laureate

Sage

John Grade · b. 1970, Minneapolis, MN · lives and works in Seattle, WA

Sage is a large-scale art installation suspended over the central stairway. The sculpture is inspired by the structure within the stem of the sagebrush that grows throughout Central Oregon. When viewed from above and below, the sculpture’s surface resembles aerial views of obsidian flows from the Newberry caldera.

West Went

Bill Hoppe · Bend, OR

Located on the second floor near the adult collection. Transparency and atmospheric perspective are at the core of works by Bend artist Bill Hoppe.

Young Reader

This bronze sculpture has been a beloved part of the Redmond Library for decades. Community members have taken countless photographs of children sitting beside her, and she now greets customers of all ages on the first floor near the stairs.

Metolius Reflection

Kristy Kún · Oregon

Installed on the wall of the new community meeting room, Metolius Reflection draws inspiration from the nearby Metolius River—deep blues, vivid greens, and orange-red accents reflecting the regional landscape. The piece pairs an immersive experience of rich color and texture with practical sound abatement for the meeting space.

Kristy Kún is an Oregon-based fiber artist whose practice grew out of an engineering background and years of woodworking. Her sculptural felt compositions use wool and plant fibers and adapt ancient felt-making techniques to contemporary, architectural-scale work. Her pieces have been exhibited nationally and recognized with multiple awards.

Title coming soon

Hoiness · Central Oregon

A vivid Central Oregon landscape layered with hand-written reflections on wildlife and habitat. Full title, medium, and dimensions will be added shortly.

Salmon Sculpture

A bronze salmon sculpture has greeted visitors on the civic square outside the Downtown Bend Library since the building opened.