Accessible art CREATIVITY COMES OUTSIDE AT SITES ALL OVER THE METHOW

BY JULIA BABKINA

In displays large and small, public art is interwoven into fabric of the upper Methow Valley.

In 2020, Twisp became the fifth district in Washington state to become certified as a Creative District by the Washington Arts Commission. A creative district is a geographically recognized space for art, culture, and social and economic activity.

While public art in Winthrop is more geographically spaced out, it is also making an investment, first by revitalizing two murals downtown this spring. Following are a few examples of what to look for as you explore these distinct towns.

TWISP

■ “ BEEEST”

It’s hard to miss this 15-foot tall metal yellowjacket sculpture by Barry Stromberger in Twisp Commons Park, that has become the unofficial mascot of Twisp. Stromberger created this piece from the body of three cars embedded in the banks of the Methow River. Installed in 2016.

Suites owner Joe Marver came up with the name.

■ “M OUNTAIN HOME”

If you’re in Twisp, you’ve passed the 9- foot by 5- foot by 6- foot stainless steel mountain sculptures on Highway 20 at either end of town. Local artists Perri and Craig Howard’s design was selected by the town of Twisp and installed in 2019. The mountains illuminate a warm glow at night.

■ T WISP COMMUNITY

Connection Panels

Twisp-based artist Hannah Viano created a series of art panels depicting the history, community and culture of Twisp. The 3-foot by 6-foot panels can be found on the sides of The Cove, Methow Arts, Methow Valley Senior Center and Twisp Feed store.

■ “ ENTRO”

■ “

GRANDSONS CARRYING WATER TO THEIR HERBS”

The late Richard Beyer sculpted this piece at his studio in Pateros. Carved in Styrofoam and cast in aluminum, the larger than life statue in Twisp Commons Park pays homage to his four grandchildren, ages 5-10, watering plants in the early morning.

■ “ TWISPY”

This cutie,” at 140 W. Twisp Ave., across from Twisp River Suites, receives less attention than it’s more-famous counterpart, “Beeest,” and is worth the visit. Installed in 2015, the 7-foot long yellowjacket is fabricated from steel and given a rust patina to match the exterior of the hotel across the street. Twisp River

Sculpted by the late Bernard Hosey, a Twisp resident and renowned artist, “Entro” is one of 8 0 sculptural metal spheres in his “Spheres” series. Hosey’s giant sphere, on the TwispWorks C ampus in front of Methow Valley Interpretive Center, features g eometric shapes and steel girders, a relationship between positive and negative space and a human face. “Entro” was donated to TwispWorks by Jim and Gaye Pigott and installed in 2010.

■ T WISP

Discovery Ponds

The Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation purchased 13 p arcels on Twisp River Road that were slated for residential development to create this 3 7-acre oasis. Located 1/4 mile from Highway 20, the 1-mile looping nature trail features Bruce Morrison’s “Beaver Totem,” Cordelia Bradburn’s “Blue Heron and Smolt,” and Steve Love’s “Twisp.” Dan Brown’s rusted steel “Bringing Home the Bacon-Salmon,” stands at the Twisp Ponds entrance.

■ “ METHOW FISHING”

Pateros-based Steve Love made this life-sized cast bronze sculpture of a Native American standing on a rock fishing with a spear, installed at 20326 Highway 20, at Twisp Self Storage. L awrence Therriault, who commissioned the project, grew up in t he valley and remembered, as a boy, watching Native Americans spearfishing in the Methow. Installed in 2007.

■ “ LOVE IS LOVE”

Methow Valley resident Amy Gard was commissioned to create and paint a temporary mural in 2022 in honor of June’s Pride Month. The bright mural at the corner of Glover and Second Street, on one side of The Merc Playhouse, is a popular spot for tourists taking pictures in downtown Twisp. Gard studied sculpture, theater and auto me chanics, according to Methow Arts website.

Winthrop

■ M ETHOW VALLEY FIREFIGHTERS MEMORIAL

This memorial by Barry Stromberger, in Mack Lloyd near the W inthrop Barn, honors 20 wildland firefighters that have fallen since 1929 fighting forest fires in the Methow Valley. The plaque reads in part, “Wildland firefighting is integral to the history and culture of the Methow Valley. This statue stands as a tribute to all ground and aerial firefighters; past, present and future.”

■ H OMESTREAM PARK

This former corral on Highway 20 adjacent to the Methow R iver Bridge was transformed into a park and opened to the public in 2019. Sculptures by the late Virgil “Smoker” Marchand, a member of the Arrow L akes Band of the Colville Confederated Tribes, dot the 2-acre site. The park’s theme is welcoming the salmon home. Marchand’s sculpture, “Water is Life” depicts spawning salmon. Another installation,“Coming Home,” depicts a Native American salmon encampment. The sp ace has been restored to its natural riparian and floodplain condition. An easy interpretive trail and benches by the Methow River provide a break from the busy-ness of town. Handicapped parking only at the site. General parking at Winthrop Rink.

■ “ WINTER IN THE METHOW”

When it’s hot in the Methow, head over to the Spring Creek Trailhead for a visual reminder of the valley in the winter. S kiing, ski jumping, snowboarding, ice skating, ice hockey, s ledding, snowmobiling, even a person pulling their horse through the deep snow, are all depicted on this mural showing the diversity of life in the v alley. The back side of the brick building features an early 20th century woman on cross country skis holding three pelts. Painted by high school art students with Tori Karpenko, the murals were made possible by Methow Arts’ Artist-in-Residence program.

■ “ SOLACE”

You can’t miss the 17-foot-tall Western Red Cedar when you visit the new Winthrop Library. The charred tree was taken near 8-mile road and moved with great difficulty. When the library was constructed, its interior carpentry took place around the tree. Tori Karpenko and Hannah

Viano prepared this piece, which Karpenko described as “the passage of time and the undeniable urge for survival.”

■ “ WAR OF FROGS AND CRANES”

At the Chickadee Trailhead en route to Sun Mountain Lodge, this work was created by Richard Beyer and Liberty Bell High School students in 2002. The cast aluminum sculpture depicts cranes and f rogs enmeshed in an epic struggle. It’s anyone’s guess who’s w inning, or at least an interesting conversation starter.

■ W INTHROP MURALS

Two murals are visible from the south side of the four-way stop in Winthrop. A mural on the side of Three Fingered Jack’s Saloon is a replica of an 1880s advertisement for a salve that claims to treat horses and humans. Another mural on the side of the Emporium d isplays a map of the mountains surrounding the valley. Take pictures of them now, because the 51-year-old murals will soon get a facelift as part of a project to repaint downtown Winthrop.

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