Artwork copyright Janet Essley. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Artwork copyright Janet Essley. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

The Aqueduct, 1999

Janet Essley
American (born 1949)

Location: Highland High School, Cowiche

About the Artwork

The Aqueduct is a colorful landscape painting by artist Janet Essley. Roman aqueducts and carving styles found in Mexico, Mesopotamia and Cambodia inspired the form and style of the central arch. She notes, "I grew up in Rochester New York where arched bridges carry the Erie Canal over the Genessee River. One of the solutions proposed for the depletion of salmon runs on the Columbia and Snake Rivers is to build a salmon canal next to what used to be a real river. In the shifting sand dunes of the Oregon coast old pines wither as they are covered by sand. Parts of all these images influenced the choice of objects in The Aqueduct."

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

About the Artist

Essley earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Oregon and a Master of Fine Arts degreerts in painting and drawing from California State University, Chico.