BLUE RIVER: The O’Brien Memorial Library received a new piece of public art thanks to Eugene sculptor Mark Andrew, who donated and installed a hand-carved limestone column on Wednesday, November 26.
Andrew, who grew up in New York before attending high school in France, traces his passion for art to early exposure to European sculpture and craftsmanship. “Art was the handwork from which beauty blooms,” he feels, a belief that guided him into a lifelong career.
His formal training began at the University of Oregon under renowned Pacific Northwest sculptor Paul Buckner, where he first took up wood carving. Investing in a full set of Swiss-made chisels, Andrew experimented widely with Oregon hardwoods. He later studied realistic carving techniques with Florida wildlife artist Daniel DeMendoza…