"A Step Ahead" by Georgia Gerber.

Georgia Gerber looks on as the sculpture is set into the foundation.

Patty Lebbert, Georgia Gerber and her husband Randy.

Cascadia’s Patricia Lebbert recently completed an exciting year-long project to bring a piece of public art, a bronze duck and two ducklings, to life in her community of University Place (UP).

As president of UP for Art, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing public art to the town, Patty led the project from inception through installation. She has been involved with the organization for several years, and she and the group became particularly interested in the public art and design aspects of UP’s newly-built Town Center.

The group had funding for a piece of public art, to honor the late Terry Reim. Terry was an active UP community member, business owner, Rotarian, and town cheer leader who died unexpectedly in a fall in 2003. He and another business owner started the University Place Farmer's Market and initiated the Duck Parade, which was started to lead people to the opening of the Farmer's Market the first weekend of June. Now the Duck Parade has morphed into Duck Daze, an annual parade and festival.

 “I was happy to be involved in this memorial, because Terry had been very welcoming to me when I first came to town and participated in the Farmer's Market, where I sold my handmade glass beads and jewelry,” Patty said.

“UP for Art had been managing his memorial fund, waiting for the right place and time to commission some sort of duck-themed bronze. The idea of a whimsical duck was easy for UP for Art and Terry's widow to envision, especially since the town had embraced the Duck Daze Parade.”

A year ago, UP for Art became aware of money left in a state grant intended for the area in front of the Town Center building. Patty addressed City Council in the Fall of 2009 with an estimate of the size, cost, proposed placement and significance of the proposed duck. Terry’s widow, Ruthann, gave an overview of who her husband was and his contributions to the community. Patty asked for and was granted matching funds for the project from the city council, who all knew Terry and were happy to finally be able to honor his contributions to University Place.

With funding secured, Up for Art began the process of commissioning the piece. A “call to artists” was developed and artist's proposals, models and drawings started coming in. The designs were presented at a public open house over the winter.  Patty assembled a seven-member selection committee which included people with appropriate knowledge, experience and backgrounds to make the final choice. Georgia Gerber, the sculptor who created the bronze pig at Seattle’s Pike's Place Market, was selected in April 2010.  Final design details and a contract were negotiated between the artist and the city, and the project started to come to life.

Gerber has her own studio and foundry on Whidbey Island and invited interested people to come and watch the process. The piece was finished just in time for the unveiling ceremony, about one year after the project began.

The unveiling event was held on October 16th, 2010, on a beautifully sunny Fall day. An excited crowd was there for the unveiling of “One Step Ahead,” the name given the piece. Patty and her UP for Art committee coordinated all the details of the ceremony with the city council, the artist, Terry Reim’s family, and the community. She was the Master of Ceremonies at the unveiling, and spoke about the history and process of the project. The Mayor spoke next, then the artist and finally the widow. 

“I thought I would be terribly nervous about speaking in public. But since I had already spoken to the city council on two occasions, which were televised, I wasn't as scared,” she said. “I was so happy to be able to be the one to present the town with the speakers and then the duck that I was relaxed and felt good about my delivery.”

The Duck was unveiled by Terry's widow, son, daughter and business partner. The Pierce County Public Access television channel filmed the event and ran it for a week on TV. A city staffer took some wonderful pictures of the event and posted a selection on the city's website.

The project was a growth opportunity for Patty, who was often pushed out of her comfort zone throughout the process. “I learned that I could manage something this big,” she said. “I realized that this was an amazing opportunity to grow in leadership skills, and that I had mentors and was not alone in this project. I was able to use my organizational skills, and learned how to delegate. I found out I enjoyed being in a leadership role, but I also learned that unlike a job, volunteer work is harder to manage personally and can be very time consuming because it is so open-ended.”

Patty’s term as president of UP for Art comes to a close in January 2011 when she turns over the reins to the next president. She will continue her involvement with UP for Art, but from more of a supporting position as the group begins a new member drive and organizes local showings of artist's works. She plans go back to being a “full time” studio artist, and hopes to be one of the artists selected to show paintings in the space in the new Town Center.

There are more picture of the project on the UP for Art website, which also has a link there to the city’s website with pictures of the unveiling ceremony.