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QuickTake:
The city of Eugene has installed three large letters in front of the Hult Center. We want to know: What do you think of the “EUG” installation?
If you’re walking by the Hult Center anytime soon, there’s a new piece of public art for you to interact with: a large-scale set of blue, salmon and yellow letters spelling out “EUG.”
The letters, each about 6 feet tall, were installed outside of the Hult Center at Willamette Street and Seventh Avenue on Thursday, July 30, ahead of the World Athletics U20 Championships beginning in Eugene next week.
A press release said that the work “is intended to create a welcoming destination that encourages people to spend time downtown while celebrating what makes Eugene unique.”
The project cost the city $45,102, including custom fabrication of the letters, exterior finishes, structural supports and bases, site preparation, installation and project management. The money came from several city departments, including Planning and Development; Central Services; and Library, Recreation and Cultural Services, as well as the city’s urban renewal program.
It is intended as a permanent installation in downtown, said Ian Campbell, content and community engagement manager for the Library, Recreation and Cultural Services Department.
But that doesn’t mean it will stay in front of the Hult Center: It was intentionally designed to be moved, Campbell added, allowing the city to relocate the letters for “special events, maintenance or future downtown activations while preserving them as a lasting community landmark.”
The letters were not a commissioned work by a specific artist, but were made by local fabricator Fastsigns with a color palette drawn directly from the city of Eugene and Hult Center brand standards.
They were intended to be eye-catching, and consider how the colors would interact with the surrounding building and landscaping.
People are encouraged to take photos with the art and add the hashtag #EUGscene. A formal unveiling will take place at noon next Tuesday, Aug. 4.
What do you think of the large-scale ‘EUG’ letters?
Please include your name and a way to contact you. A Lookout reporter may contact you for a longer interview, and your response could be quoted in a follow-up story.
