Sisters city councilors don’t pick either finalist for Highway 20-Locust roundabout art, will look for other options

SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The new roundabout at US Highway 20 and Locust Street in Sisters will remain without artwork -- for now.

Following two calls for artists, dozens of proposals, public evaluations and community input about the two finalists, the Sisters City Council decided not to pick either finalist's design for the roundabout. Though Karen Yank's Pride of Place and Dan Chen's Through Time were the top contenders out of 89 proposals, the council is starting over.

Here's the city's news release on the decision and next steps:

"After a rigorous selection process, the City Council, acting as the City’s Urban Renewal Agency Board, decided not to move forward with selecting one of the finalists’ designs for the art at the US20 at Locust Street Roundabout.  The finalists, Karen Yank’s Pride of Place and Dan Chen’s Through Time, were chosen for the Board’s consideration after an extensive evaluation and public involvement process. 

"The Board thanked the artists and the Selection Committee for their time and work but ultimately decided to seek other options for the roundabout art.  

"Over the course of the selection process, the two Call for Artists attracted a total of 89 proposals from artists living in the west region, with 36 submissions in the initial round and 53 in a second call.

"The review of the finalists' proposals was comprehensive and were scored on criteria that included artistic excellence, originality, collaboration ability, experience, material suitability, and public feedback. Submissions were reviewed through multiple rounds of evaluation, ultimately narrowing the choices down to the two finalists. 

"At a future meeting, the Board will discuss options on how to proceed, including the possibility of issuing a third Call for Artists, considering a direct purchase of artwork, or exploring alternative processes. The total project budget for the artwork and related site work is $175,000, all funded through urban renewal.

"The Board and staff are committed to ensuring that any future decisions will prioritize artistic integrity and community engagement while maintaining the vision of enhancing the city’s public spaces," the city news release concluded.