Artwork copyright Richard Beyer. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Artwork copyright Richard Beyer. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Artwork copyright Richard Beyer. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

The Explorers, 2000

Richard Beyer
(American, born 1925, died 2012)

Location: Saddle Mountain Elementary School, Mattawa

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Artist Richard Beyer created the sculpture The Explorers to capture the spirit of imagination. The artwork features three children rowing a fictional boat with their faces turned up to the warm sun.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Wahluke School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist Richard Beyer (1925-2012) created sculptures for public spaces. His figurative sculptures reflect community identity as well as local values and lore. Many of his artworks can be found in Washington and Oregon. In his own words, "Public sculpture properly belongs to the people and should be meaningful to them. Sculpture should be in every nook and cranny where people live, to tell them about themselves."

Beyer grew up in Virginia. He was drafted into the U.S. Army (1944-46) during World War II (1939-1945), seeing action at the Battle of the Bulge. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (1952) from Columbia University in New York City and a Master of Arts degree (1955) in Education from the University of Vermont. In 1957, Beyer moved his family to Seattle to work on a PhD in Economics. However he was unfulfilled and his woodcarving hobby led him to dedicate himself to sculpture in 1964. He set up a foundry to cast aluminum in his Fremont studio. In 1988, he moved his life and foundry to Pateros, Central Washington until 2005. He lived his final years in New York City.