Jeff Oens

Made of Cast Bronze

A John Porter Memorial Piece

Artist statement: Recreating the movement of my subjects in their element and allowing them to speak for themselves is my goal. I not only want my art to be realistic, but to be interesting from all  angles.

Jeff Oens is a professional sculptor whose bronze artworks – including life-size and monumental pieces – are exhibited in prominent art collections across the USA. Mr. Oens’ interest and passion for wildlife stems from his childhood in Montana, where his family’s Western lifestyle revolved around animals and nature. He began at an early age to create original artwork with wildlife and western themes that revealed his natural talent. Mr. Oens is a self-taught artist, having honed his skills through many years’ work as a taxidermist, as well as his own wildlife observation.

Artist Website

Grace Nirschl

Made of Painting on Waterproof Honeycomb Metal

A Gift from the Artist

Artist Statement:  Wanting to add color and life to a blank brick wall near Puyallup’s Farmers’ Market, I made this weatherproof image of my mother’s homeland flower.

Austin Byers

Made of Metal

Artist’s statement: Art gives me a freedom to express my feelings and possibly have someone look at my sculpture and feel the same way.  I want a kid/adult to look at my sculpture say wow and smile, and make them realize art can be anything you want it to be.  My sculpture is always changing due to the weather in my opinion showing age can really affect a piece.  I chose a 3D sculpture so the viewer can see all around it like they would a normal tree in the forest.

Sabah Al-Dhaher

Made of Basalt

A Legacy Gift to the City of Puyallup from Babbette Kunkle and Family.

“Beautiful Night” was inspired by the stone itself –- not only local stone but exceptionally high quality, very dark, with a luxurious sheen when polished. Mr. Al-Dhaher saw not only the darkness of night, but the “music” in the word “night”, suggesting Femininity, and the form thus emerging from and in darkness.

Sabah Al-Dhaher was born in Nasiriyah, Iraq. His interest in art began as a young boy when he worked in his father’s bakery. A friend in their neighborhood heard he was interested in drawing and gave him a book about art. On those pages, he first saw and was fascinated by Michelangelo’s work. Then, the friend gave him a copy of The Odyssey. The influence of those two volumes is still visible in his work today. At the age of fifteen, he was accepted to the Institute of Fine Arts in Basra, Iraq, where he lived and received his training in classical art.

Mr. Al-Dhaher fled Iraq in 1991, in the turmoil following the first Gulf War. He was admitted to the US as a political refugee, quickly settled in the Seattle area, and proceeded to produce an extensive body of paintings and sculptures and an impressive list of exhibits and installations. He teaches at the Pratt Fine Art Center in Seattle and presents programs at art workshops and symposia.

Artist Website

Tomas Vrba

 Made from Port Orford Cedar Tree Stump 

As it once stood as a proud Port Orford Cedar tree, it became diseased and posed safety concerns. Instead of simply removing the tree, the City of Puyallup and the Arts Commission wanted to preserve the memory of the tree, and they saw an opportunity to create a unique piece of public art.   

 Mr. Vrba was hired, and together with the city and arts commission, reimagined this tree to incorporate elements of the city’s agricultural heritage and history. The creation is a beautiful sculpture featuring a wooden throne with 360 degrees of intricate carvings of bees, owls, and herons.  

Having spent considerable time developing the concept and executing the carving, Vrba says, “After understanding the history and culture of Puyallup, it had to be nature-connected, so we came up with the idea of ‘Nature’s Throne’”  

Tomas Vrba is an award-winning sculptor and metal artist from Bellingham. He combines the classical fine arts training he received in his native country of Slovakia with the raw power of modern tools to create a unique style of sculpture. 

“Any Sculpture needs to be noticeable from a distance and from up close. Something has to draw you to it,” says Tomas. “It can become a kind of living piece in the center of the park.” 

Artist Website

Leo Osborne

Made of Bronze

A Legacy Gift to the City of Puyallup from Jerry and Germaine Korum and the Korum for Kids Foundation.

Artist statement: To let it all flow through me…the mind and spirit goes and the tool walks alone, I become the simple vehicle within which the creative source conveys its sacred, inner being. To be in the constant flow and rhythm of the dance is my true ambition and desire.  

“Flower of life
Flower of peace
Bloom in my Mind
Open in my heart”

Leo Osborne is a multi-faceted artist, working as a sculptor, painter, and poet born and raised in Massachusetts, spending his early years at his grandmother’s farm and in the family home on the shore of Big Sandy Pond.  Years spent in intimate contact with woodlands and wildlife instilled in him a lifelong fascination with the “wild” side of life and the world of nature and spirit. His art education began in high school, when he won a home schooling course from the Art Instruction School of Minneapolis, and continued with training at the New England School of Art in Boston. Early employment painting signs morphed into carving signs, which evolved into carving birds as art, with showings throughout North America, and winning numerous prestigious awards. In 1990, he moved to the Pacific Northwest, where he advanced his interest in bronze sculpture, eventually opening “Milkwood Studio” in the San Juan Islands.

Artist Website