TheTahoeWeekly.com
THE makers Tahoe Sierra Public Art Tour, Part III TRUCKEE S TO RY & P H OTO S BY K AY L A A N D E R S O N
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third part in a series
on public art in the Tahoe Sierra. Read Part I & II at TheTahoeWeekly.com.
T
ruckee is rich in culture and history, inspiring people to explore and recreate in its rugged terrain while also promoting commerce and drawing in creative minds. Therefore, it makes sense to enrich the community with public art everywhere, located all around the area among Truckee’s emerging population.
The eyes on West River Street were yarn bombed by an anonymous crochet
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artist who calls
CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: “Mountain Flowers” in the Donner Pass Road/Pioneer Trail roundabout; “The Rusty Ramblers” metal sculpture on Donner Pass Road; West River Street crocheted eyes from the pop-up artist Yarn Gurl.
herself Yarn Gurl. “Truckee Ants”
“Uplifted”
Alder Drive & Prosser Dam Road
In the roundabout at the intersection of Alder Drive/Prosser Dam Road are giant metal ant sculptures that seem to stare at vehicles going to and from Truckee. Metal artist Matt Parkhurst originally proposed the idea of installing two ant sculptures. The Town of Truckee decided to purchase six more to make the roundabout appear more like an ant hill.
“Mountain Flowers” Donner Pass Road & Pioneer Trail
In the roundabout at the intersection of Donner Pass Road and Pioneer Trail, reaching high into the sky at 16 and 18 feet tall, are iron wildflowers. Artist and Gallery 5830’ co-owner Troy Corliss gifted the piece; a lot of his work is intended for large-scale environments. To create “Mountain Flowers,” he enlisted the help of The Mountain Forge, Huldrege & Kull (now NV5), Perennial Landscape & Nursery and JMC Industrial Finishing to provide services and supplies.
“DeRailed” 10065 Donner Pass Road
“DeRailed,” a sculpture created by Bernie LaForest, in front of The Depot is made of repurposed rail steel and part of Truckee Artistic Bike Rack Project commissioned by the Town of Truckee.
“Locomotion No. 4294” 10115 Donner Pass Road
A large metal bike stands between Mountain Home Center and Tahoe Oil & Spice. The metal sculpture, by Fred Besch, 14
Bridge & Jibboom Streets
‘’Uplifted’ was designed by Karin Johnson and created by Karin Johnson and Jewelz Vaio. It sits at the corner of Trout Creek Park and is part of Truckee Public Arts Commission’s Art Bike Rack Project. was named after 1940 and 1950s scabforward engines that pulled heavy loads over Donner Pass Summit. Besch collaborated with architect Peter Gerdin, Justin Self of Fusion Craft Works, Kelly Brothers Painting, Inc. and Town of Truckee to complete it. The art shares plaza space with a giant chess board that was created and donated by Truckee Roundhouse Makerspace.
“High Iron”
West River Street art
10156 Donner Pass Road
10153 West River St.
“Victory Highway Eagle Monument”
This multipiece metal sculpture, aka “The Band,” is located on the train tracks side of Donner Pass Road in Brickelltown. Created by local artist Anton Standteiner of The Mountain Forge, this is a fun iron depiction featuring lively musicians rocking out on the road. Town of Truckee embraced it as part of the Brickelltown Streetscape improvement project.
Donner Pass Road & Spring Street
Originally built in 1928 by Caltrans and the Town of Truckee, this monument was on Old Highway 40 before it was vandalized and taken down. The giant sculpted metal eagle was then relocated to the corner of Spring Street and Donner Pass Road; a rededication event took place in July 1998. The monument pays tribute to Californians who fought in World War I.
Truckee murals 10156 Donner Pass Road & 10050 Bridge St.
Near the Eagle monument, you’ll see the “Truckee, Calif.” mural painted on the side of a brick building in Brickelltown that houses California 89. While on the other end of downtown, there’s a “Welcome to Truckee California” next to the Post Office on Bridge Street.
‘’High Iron’’ by Bernie LaForest of Striker Forge is the most vertical in the Truckee Artistic Bike Rack project. The sculpture is made of rail steel and was commissioned by the Town of Truckee.
“Rusty Ramblers” Donner Pass Road in Brickelltown
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On a chain-link fence between two abandoned buildings on West River Street, 35 woven eyes of all shapes and sizes peer onto the road. These eyes were yarn bombed by an anonymous crochet artist who calls herself Yarn Gurl. Her purpose was to create art that makes people want to “stop and smell the roses” and remain in the present. Next to the crocheted eyes, three cartoon heads were painted on a building also staring out into the street. They were created by Yon, a San Franciscobased street artist.
“Animal Tracks” 10125 Pine Ave.
Next to Tahoe Forest Hospital is “Animal Tracks,” a steel bike-rack sculpture featuring paw prints of local animals created by artist Kevin Kremler as part of the Truckee Artistic Bike Rack Project.
“Building Communities” Truckee River Regional Park
This project includes steel parts from the San Francisco Bay Bridge that is now the Kids Train Platform. It was the brainchild of Anton “Toni” Standteiner of Mountain Forge.
