A new musician recently joined Central Oregon Community College’s (COCC) arts program, and it’s safe to say he’s already a permanent fixture. The life-size bronze statue, titled Bass Player, was crafted by the Lundeen Sculpture studio of Loveland, Colorado and gifted to the COCC Foundation by Sunriver Resort after being originally donated by a member of the community. Following several years in the resort’s great hall, the statue — with the original donor’s full support — now has a new home at the entrance to COCC’s Pinckney Center for the Arts.

According to Michael Gesme, chair of COCC’s fine arts department and conductor of the Central Oregon Symphony, the bronze bassist will serve as an everyday ambassador to a vibrant music program. “The obvious musical theme is a quiet testament to the 60-plus years of community-wide music-making that COCC has supported and fostered in Central Oregon,” said Gesme. “The work captures the vitality and excitement of live performance, which is the heart of what we practice every day.”

In addition to the Central Oregon Symphony (which will kick off its 2019-20 season with a series of concerts October 19-21), the college orchestrates several other performance groups, including Cascade Winds, the Redmond Community Choir and Big Band Jazz. COCC offers an associate degree in music.

“Our community supports us in so many ways,” said Zak Boone, executive director of the COCC Foundation. “This unique gift — an example of how the donor spirit is so strong in Central Oregon — will inspire our students and help celebrate the arts for decades to come.”

cocc.edu • cosymphony.com • 541-383-7212 • zboone@cocc.edu