Schools & Colleges
During the 1980s and 1990s schools in the State of Washington seemed to have a good deal of money for new construction. Since Beyer was friends with a number of local architects, they commissioned him to provide meaningful and amusing sculptures for some of the educational projects they were working on.
During the 1980s and 1990s schools in the State of Washington seemed to have a good deal of money for new construction. Since Beyer was friends with a number of local architects, they commissioned him to provide meaningful and amusing sculptures for some of the educational projects they were working on.
Bears Running Downhill
Whitman Grade School,
Lewiston, ID
2005, cast aluminum
The Whitman School in Lewiston, ID, commissioned Beyer to create three sculptures to highlight the school’s mascot, "The Bears." This small school had a strong leader with an unusual ability to raise money. In order to encourage the work of two of his protégés, Peggy Grant and Steve Love, Beyer had them create two of the pieces. Beyer’s piece shows a group of gray bears running downhill, chasing the children, with the intention of eating them. Beyer always avoided a sentimental tale for his works! Peggy’s sculpture is of a bear reading a book and sits at the entrance to the school. Steve’s is a group of small bears climbing the canopy of the picnic area, searching for honey. Bears Running Downhill was one of Beyer’s last large works.
Lewiston, ID
2005, cast aluminum
The Whitman School in Lewiston, ID, commissioned Beyer to create three sculptures to highlight the school’s mascot, "The Bears." This small school had a strong leader with an unusual ability to raise money. In order to encourage the work of two of his protégés, Peggy Grant and Steve Love, Beyer had them create two of the pieces. Beyer’s piece shows a group of gray bears running downhill, chasing the children, with the intention of eating them. Beyer always avoided a sentimental tale for his works! Peggy’s sculpture is of a bear reading a book and sits at the entrance to the school. Steve’s is a group of small bears climbing the canopy of the picnic area, searching for honey. Bears Running Downhill was one of Beyer’s last large works.
The Old Man and the Cougar
Western Washington University
Adjacent to the WWU Library
Bellingham, WA
1972, carved granite
Adjacent to the WWU Library
Bellingham, WA
1972, carved granite
Dancing Bears
Sherwood School
16411 NE 24th Street
Bellevue, WA
1987, cast aluminum
A Memorial to Cecil Lowe
This joyous piece was created for a school for disadvantaged children, the Sherwood School, in Bellevue, WA. It was dedicated to the former director, Cecil Lowe, who died unexpectedly in 1984. He was known as a gruff but loveable man of Scottish descent. He loved to play bagpipes for the students, and the sculpture is of a big bear wearing glasses, a tam-o-shanter and playing bagpipes, with smaller bears dancing to his tune. With the encouragement of a local resident who understood the needs of disabled children, the whole community came together to raise the money for the project.
16411 NE 24th Street
Bellevue, WA
1987, cast aluminum
A Memorial to Cecil Lowe
This joyous piece was created for a school for disadvantaged children, the Sherwood School, in Bellevue, WA. It was dedicated to the former director, Cecil Lowe, who died unexpectedly in 1984. He was known as a gruff but loveable man of Scottish descent. He loved to play bagpipes for the students, and the sculpture is of a big bear wearing glasses, a tam-o-shanter and playing bagpipes, with smaller bears dancing to his tune. With the encouragement of a local resident who understood the needs of disabled children, the whole community came together to raise the money for the project.
Dancing Bears (Detail)
Sherwood School
16411 NE 24th Street
Bellevue, WA
1987, cast aluminum
A Memorial to Cecil Lowe
16411 NE 24th Street
Bellevue, WA
1987, cast aluminum
A Memorial to Cecil Lowe
Dancing Bears (Detail)
Sherwood School
16411 NE 24th Street
Bellevue, WA
1987, cast aluminum
A Memorial to Cecil Lowe
16411 NE 24th Street
Bellevue, WA
1987, cast aluminum
A Memorial to Cecil Lowe
Fish Swimming Over Old Pateros
Pateros Grade School
Pateros, WA
1991, cast aluminum
By Richard S. Beyer and Margaret Grant.
In 1967 the town of Pateros was intentionally flooded by the creation of the Wells Dam on the Columbia River. To honor the memory of old Pateros, still missed by some residents, Beyer designed a sculpture depicting fish swimming in a circle over the town buildings.
Margaret Grant was a sculpture student at the University of Chicago who was working with Beyer for her final year, learning his technique of carving a final design in Styrofoam for casting into aluminum. Peggy was so successful at the carving that Beyer had her carve the fish for this sculpture. She also demonstrated the Styrofoam technique to the first grade class at the Pateros School and gave each child a fish to take home. A local artist, Steve Love (who now owns the Beyer Foundry) contributed by carving a large frog crawling out between the buildings. The final touch, suggested by Beyer, was to put a “time capsule” in the pit where the sculpture was to be placed. The children gathered treasured items and placed them in the hole, to be left to be found by some archeologist in the distant future.
Pateros, WA
1991, cast aluminum
By Richard S. Beyer and Margaret Grant.
In 1967 the town of Pateros was intentionally flooded by the creation of the Wells Dam on the Columbia River. To honor the memory of old Pateros, still missed by some residents, Beyer designed a sculpture depicting fish swimming in a circle over the town buildings.
Margaret Grant was a sculpture student at the University of Chicago who was working with Beyer for her final year, learning his technique of carving a final design in Styrofoam for casting into aluminum. Peggy was so successful at the carving that Beyer had her carve the fish for this sculpture. She also demonstrated the Styrofoam technique to the first grade class at the Pateros School and gave each child a fish to take home. A local artist, Steve Love (who now owns the Beyer Foundry) contributed by carving a large frog crawling out between the buildings. The final touch, suggested by Beyer, was to put a “time capsule” in the pit where the sculpture was to be placed. The children gathered treasured items and placed them in the hole, to be left to be found by some archeologist in the distant future.
Students Playing 4D Tic-Tack-Toe
Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA
1994, cast aluminum
Walla Walla, WA
1994, cast aluminum
Make Art Not Bombs
Yakima Community College
Yakima, WA
2006, cast aluminum
The Chickens are by Charles Beyer
This was Beyer’s last public commission. He wanted his final piece to say something of significance to the students of the college, and reflect his core belief that love is the only thing that will create a better world, never war. Here Coyote is busy charming a lady coyote, with no desire to eat the chickens that are calmly standing around. Beyer hoped that young people would reflect that if coyotes and chickens can get along, people who seem to be enemies should solve their problems and learn to get along also.
Coyote was one of Beyer’s favorite legendary creatures. Northwest Indian legends tell of Coyote’s powerful personality that can bring about changes to help people. He has magical powers and thinks of himself as attractive, especially to women. But if he is not shown the respect he expects, he can retaliate with misfortunes- such as war.
Yakima, WA
2006, cast aluminum
The Chickens are by Charles Beyer
This was Beyer’s last public commission. He wanted his final piece to say something of significance to the students of the college, and reflect his core belief that love is the only thing that will create a better world, never war. Here Coyote is busy charming a lady coyote, with no desire to eat the chickens that are calmly standing around. Beyer hoped that young people would reflect that if coyotes and chickens can get along, people who seem to be enemies should solve their problems and learn to get along also.
Coyote was one of Beyer’s favorite legendary creatures. Northwest Indian legends tell of Coyote’s powerful personality that can bring about changes to help people. He has magical powers and thinks of himself as attractive, especially to women. But if he is not shown the respect he expects, he can retaliate with misfortunes- such as war.
Coyote Telling the Story of Saddle
Mountain to the School of Fish
Lincoln Elementary School
Intersection of Methow and Marr
Wenatchee, WA
1994, cast aluminum
Another school, Lincoln Elementary School in Wenatchee, WA, dedicated a sculpture to a former teacher, Frances G. Evens, who had served the school for over 20 years and died in 1993. Her bequest to the school was used for a Beyer sculpture, something that connected the past to the present and beyond. It is of a man-sized coyote crouching among a school of fish, pointing to the far horizon where can be seen “Saddle Rock.” Coyote is telling story about how Saddle Rock was formed. As tradition has it, Black Bear had a terrible quarrel with the Grizzly Bear, the argument was so ferocious that the Coyote could only stop it by turning the bears into rock – which formed what is today Saddle Rock, a distinctive landmark in the hills above Wenatchee.
Intersection of Methow and Marr
Wenatchee, WA
1994, cast aluminum
Another school, Lincoln Elementary School in Wenatchee, WA, dedicated a sculpture to a former teacher, Frances G. Evens, who had served the school for over 20 years and died in 1993. Her bequest to the school was used for a Beyer sculpture, something that connected the past to the present and beyond. It is of a man-sized coyote crouching among a school of fish, pointing to the far horizon where can be seen “Saddle Rock.” Coyote is telling story about how Saddle Rock was formed. As tradition has it, Black Bear had a terrible quarrel with the Grizzly Bear, the argument was so ferocious that the Coyote could only stop it by turning the bears into rock – which formed what is today Saddle Rock, a distinctive landmark in the hills above Wenatchee.