Burls Will Be Burls is an outdoor 2009 bronze sculpture by American artist Bruce Conkle, located in Portland, Oregon.

Burls Will Be Burls
Two of the installation's pieces in 2015
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ArtistBruce Conkle
Year2009 (2009)
TypeSculpture
MediumBronze, cast concrete
LocationPortland, Oregon, United States
Coordinates45°31′22.2″N 122°40′35.9″W / 45.522833°N 122.676639°W / 45.522833; -122.676639
OwnerCity of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council
Websitewww.bruceconkle.com/burls/burlshome.htm

Description and history

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Detail of a snowman

Burls Will Be Burls was designed by Bruce Conkle and completed in 2009 as a tribute to snowmen and to the forests of the Pacific Northwest. It is installed at the intersection of Southwest 6th Avenue and West Burnside. The art installation consists of three cast bronze figures representing "what might happen when a snowman melts and nourishes a nearby living tree", as "water is absorbed by the roots and carries the spirit of the melted snowman up into the tree where it manifests itself as burls".[1][2]

 
Plaque for the sculpture

The three snowmen measure 71 inches (180 cm) x 16 inches (41 cm) x 17 inches (43 cm), 98 inches (250 cm) x 12 inches (30 cm) x 12 inches (30 cm), and 72 inches (180 cm) x 17 inches (43 cm) x 19 inches (48 cm), respectively.[1] The work is part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council.[3] It has been included in at least one published walking tour of Portland.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Public Art Search: Burls Will Be Burls". Regional Arts & Culture Council. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  2. ^ "Burls Will Be Burls". Public Art Archive. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  3. ^ "Burls Will Be Burls, 2009". cultureNOW. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  4. ^ Cook, Sybilla Avery (April 2, 2013). Walking Portland, Oregon. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 64. ISBN 9780762794119. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
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