Pete Helzer
Pete Helzer was born Portland in 1946. He is the son of Emanuel Roy Helzer (1920-1989) and Patricia Schuld (1924-2012). Emanuel Roy Helzer is the son of Heinrich Peter Hölzer (1886-1973) and Catharina Elisabeth Burbach (1883-1928), both born in Norka, Russia.
Peter Helzer earned a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture in 1983 from the University of Oregon. He runs his own bronze foundry on a small farm in the foothills of the Calapooyia Range in Dexter, Oregon, where he lives with his wife, Marge, and daughter, Alison. When Pete is not sculpting, he writes poems and essays or manages his daughter's band, Tonn Nua. He is also an active volunteer, coach, and mentor at the local high school.
According to an OPB article, "If you have visited parks, plazas or public spaces almost anywhere in Oregon, you’ve likely experienced Pete Helzer’s work. Among the more than 200 pieces Helzer has produced are the elegant young dancers at Eugene’s Hult Center, the adorable monsters reading on a bench at the Jackson County Public Library, and the cleverly disguised creatures in Corvallis’ Central Park."
Helzer was commissioned to create a life-sized bronze statue of Louis Southworth, a Black pioneer in Oregon. The statue will be the centerpiece of the new Waldport green space, named Louis Southworth Park. Southworth donated land to build Waldport's first schoolhouse.
According to an OPB article, "If you have visited parks, plazas or public spaces almost anywhere in Oregon, you’ve likely experienced Pete Helzer’s work. Among the more than 200 pieces Helzer has produced are the elegant young dancers at Eugene’s Hult Center, the adorable monsters reading on a bench at the Jackson County Public Library, and the cleverly disguised creatures in Corvallis’ Central Park."
Helzer was commissioned to create a life-sized bronze statue of Louis Southworth, a Black pioneer in Oregon. The statue will be the centerpiece of the new Waldport green space, named Louis Southworth Park. Southworth donated land to build Waldport's first schoolhouse.
Louis Southworth Sculpture with its creator Pete Helzer. Source: findyourselfinwaldport.com
Sources
Pete Helzer - OPB Oregon Art Beat, December 11, 2003
"Oregon bronze artist Pete Helzer creates a tribute to Black pioneer Louis Southworth", OPB In The News, June 7, 2023
Pete Helzer, Sculptor - accessed June 7, 2023
"Waldport park and statue will honor Black Oregon homesteader and musician Louis Southworth", HereIsOregon website, November 18, 2022.
"Oregon bronze artist Pete Helzer creates a tribute to Black pioneer Louis Southworth", OPB In The News, June 7, 2023
Pete Helzer, Sculptor - accessed June 7, 2023
"Waldport park and statue will honor Black Oregon homesteader and musician Louis Southworth", HereIsOregon website, November 18, 2022.
Last updated January 11, 2024