Portal:Oregon/Selected article/138

Rebecca at the Well

Shemanski Fountain, also known as Rebecca at the Well, is an outdoor fountain with a bronze sculpture, located in the South Park Blocks of downtown Portland, Oregon in the United States. The sandstone fountain, designed in 1925 and completed in 1926, is named after Joseph Shemanski, a Polish immigrant and businessman who gifted the structure to the city. Carl L. Linde designed the trefoil, which features a statue designed by Oliver Laurence Barrett. The sculpture, added to the fountain in 1928, depicts the Biblical persona Rebecca. Shemanski Fountain includes two drinking platforms with three basins each, with one platform intended for dog use. The fountain underwent major renovations during 1987–88 and in 2004. It has been vandalized multiple times and has also been used as a reference point for gatherings. In addition, it has been included in public art guides and walking tours of Portland. According to "cultureNOW", the statue Rebecca at the Well is part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council, the agency that maintains the sculpture. The fountain surrounding the statue, often considered part of the artwork, is maintained by the Portland Water Bureau with assistance from the Regional Arts & Culture Council.