Whale is an outdoor wooden sculpture of a gray whale, located in Cannon Beach, Oregon, United States.

Whale
The sculpture in 2013
Map
TypeSculpture
MediumCedar
SubjectWhale
Dimensions1.2 m × 1.1 m × 3.0 m (4 ft × 3.5 ft × 10 ft)
Condition"Treatment needed" (1993)
LocationCannon Beach, Oregon, United States
Coordinates45°54′01″N 123°57′40″W / 45.90020°N 123.96115°W / 45.90020; -123.96115
OwnerCity of Cannon Beach

Description

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Detail of the whale

Whale is a 9-foot (2.7 m) sculpture installed at,[1] and the namesake of, Whale Park (or Hemlock Street Park),[2][3] located at the north end of downtown Cannon Beach. The sculpture commemorates the visit by members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition's Corps of Discovery in January 1806, including William Clark and Sacagawea, who explored the area to investigate reports of a beached whale.[4][5] It measures 4 feet (1.2 m) x 3.5 feet (1.1 m) x 10 feet (3.0 m) and is positioned horizontally on top of two metal posts anchored in a concrete base which is 2 feet (0.61 m) tall. The whale's head and tail are elevated. The underside of its proper right flipper contains an unintelligible signature by the artist which may read "Hartwick".[2] The original artist that carved the wood sculpture was Gregory Alan Hartwick.[citation needed]

The original cedar sculpture has since been replaced by a cast metal replica.[6]

History

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The sculpture's condition was deemed "treatment needed" by the Smithsonian Institution's "Save Outdoor Sculpture!" program in November 1993. It was administered by the City of Cannon Beach at that time.[2] Whale has been included in at least one published guided tour, called "Oregon's Coast, Mountains, Columbia River Gorge and Wine".[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Chill out in Cannon Beach". Rome News-Tribune. Vol. 149, no. 242. October 11, 1992. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "(Whale), (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on December 6, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  3. ^ "Public Art Committee: Proposals for the 2014 Public Arts Program" (PDF). City of Cannon Beach. December 6, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  4. ^ Coast Explorer:
  5. ^ Bengel, Erick (July 30, 2014). "Whale Park gets a makeover". The Daily Astorian. Astoria, Oregon. ISSN 0739-5078. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  6. ^ "Public Art in Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast". www.cannonbeach.org. Archived from the original on 2017-01-09. Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  7. ^ "Oregon's Coast, Mountains, Columbia River Gorge and Wine" (PDF). Pathfinder Newsletter. Pride Publications. Winter 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2014.