Reflection Plaza tower to get makeover

The campanile tower in downtown Washougal’s Reflection Plaza will receive a local history-themed makeover. The Washougal Arts and Culture Alliance (WACA) and the city of Washougal arts commission has selected Vancouver-based artist Sharon Agnor’s Two Rivers Heritage Sculpture artwork, which will be installed onto the campanile in September 2025. “This is going to show up in so much market material,” Washougal City Council member David Fritz said during a Council workshop on July 22. “This is going to be an image that people think of when they think of Washougal. I think this is really important.” Agnor’s artwork includes a selection of key events in Washougal history displayed on waves of water. Agnor and WACA leaders selected the events after consulting with Two Rivers Heritage Museum volunteers on July 19. “(The artwork is) both steel and glass, so it’s going to be really beautiful,” WACA president and Council member Molly Coston said during the Council’s July 22 meeting. “Up at the top, you can see the ‘two rivers’ — two branches of the Washougal River coming down the Columbia. There will be a lot of icons about historical events that created Washougal, as well as input from the native tribe that was here. It’s going to be very, very interesting.” WACA announced its intentions in 2023 to “add a significant piece of public art” to the campanile structure “that will create an inspiring focal point in the heart of our city, reflect the history and culture of Washougal, and capture the spirit of the city in the present and its aspirations for the future,” according to a project proposal. “We expect that stunning artwork in metal and glass on the campanile will become a defining feature of our town, bringing both residents and visitors to the downtown area to admire the beauty of the art, to reflect on the history of this place and the role of water and two rivers in our shared history, and in the evolution of our city over time,” the proposal states. “We expect a stronger connection to place and a clearer understanding of how our city fits into local and national history. We expect that there will be delight in the beauty of the piece, conversations sparked in relation to its content, and a renewed desire to gather in this historical central gathering place.” Agnor works with steel, bronze and glass to “tell stories,” according to a project proposal document, with “themes (ranging) from pain and endurance to beauty and creativity itself.” “The surface and location of the campanile lends itself to artwork with a motif of water. It rests on the location of the original well in Washougal and sits at the meeting of the Washougal and Columbia rivers,” Agnor stated in the project proposal. “The waves of water serve as a beautiful surface for telling the amazing story of Washougal. Accent elements of glass and hand painting add to the unique surface treatment.” WACA leaders sent out a request-for-proposals in January 2024, chose two finalists in late March, heard proposals from the two finalists in early May, chose Agnor’s project in late May, and submitted an application to the Arts Commission requesting $10,000 for the project, which they estimate will cost is $79,000, including design, development and installation. During its July 12 meeting, the Arts Commission voted to forward the application to the City Council with a recommendation of approval. The Council then approved the recommendation during its July 22 meeting. The $10,000 from the City will be combined with $13,700 from WACA to form a 30% down payment required by Agnor, according to a City report. Agnor will begin work on the project in August, according to the proposal, which states that WACA will begin fundraising late August or September and continue its efforts into the spring of 2025. “We feel confident that we can raise the $50,000 or $60,000 it’s going to take to finish this project,” Coston said. The campanile tower stands as a symbol of Washougal’s original 1882 town well and pump, located in the intersection of Main Street and Pendleton Way. The well “symbolized progress for a growing community and became a favorite social gathering place,” the description states. In 1991, the city of Washougal created a town square with a gazebo, a water fountain, and a wooden platform “stage” at the intersection of Main Street and Pendleton Way. In 2005, the City gave the town square a modern redesign and a name change to Reflection Plaza, which serves as Washougal’s central venue for hosting community events.

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