The Storyteller, Bronze sculpture in Eugene, United States
The Storyteller is a bronze sculpture group by Pete Helzer at Kesey Square, Broadway and Willamette Street in Eugene. It shows Ken Kesey reading to his three grandchildren: a seated woman extends her right arm toward a child beside her, another child sits facing away, and a figure at the right holds an open book. The figures rest on a curved bench-like base with a dark rectangular panel.
Pete Helzer's bronze group was unveiled in 2003 as the Ken Kesey Memorial. Art Daily reported the estimated US$120,000 cost was covered by donors ranging from Phil Knight and Paul Newman to Michael Douglas, Miloš Forman, Tom Robbins, Tom Wolfe, Rolling Stone and Viking Penguin. In October 2016 the Eugene City Council weighed a developer's proposal to buy the square, remove the sculpture and build apartments.
Plaques on the base carry excerpts from two Kesey novels, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1962) and Sometimes a Great Notion (1964). The square around the sculpture is known as Kesey Square, renamed after the author, and it hosts gatherings and events in downtown Eugene.
The artwork sits at the corner of West Broadway and Willamette Street, making it an easy landmark to find in downtown Eugene. The location is walkable and surrounded by shops and other attractions nearby.
The artwork shows three named bronze figures of children: Kate Smith, Caleb Kesey, and Jordan Smith, each representing specific individuals. This portrayal of family members makes the memorial a personal portrait rather than just a generic literary monument.
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