WAITSBURG - It was an unusually full house at last week's City Council meeting, at least through the first item on the agenda: discussion and action on the new public art selection finalists. Members of the Waitsburg Art Commission, community members and artists alike were on hand to offer input on the final Council approval of the two bronze sculptures -- to reside on Main Street -- selected by the Commission earlier this month.

On August 13 artists Jeffrey Hill and Squire Broel presented their visions for "The Founding Fathers," a piece depicting Waitsburg founders Sylvester Wait, William Bruce and William Preston, while Keith McMasters and Wayne Chabre shared their concept for "Game Table," a sculpture honoring Fanny Weller and the young child of William Bruce who drowned as a toddler. On August 14 the Art Commission voted to recommend the work of Broel and Chabre to the Council.

Chabre's "Game Table" depicts Fanny Weller sitting at a table and chairs made of a cottonwood tree trunk and branches. Across the table, a young Edward Bruce reaches for a children's book atop the table. The piece incorporates a game called "The Waitsburg Story" that visitors can sit at the table and play.

Broel's memorial to the founding fathers is a 10- foot tall obelisk created with four bronze panels. Engravings of the faces of Bruce, Wait and Preston will be placed at the top of each panel with images depicting local waterways and wheat fields running down the lengths. The fourth panel will show an eye in a harvest moon at the top and will incorporate past, present and future contributors of Waitsburg on the panel.

The greatest contention was between Broel's more abstract memorial and the challenging piece by Jeffrey Hill, a lifelike sculpture of Wait, Bruce and Preston pushing a hand truck loaded with three sacks of wheat.

Local professional artist and Art Commission member Gail Gwinn opened public comment by making the case for Broel's work. Gwinn felt that the piece was the "most elegant and most eloquent" work that honored the founding fathers. She commented that the obelisk is a very classic and traditional shape and a visit to the cemetery will show many obelisk shaped memorials from that time period.

Ross Hamann served as chair of the Waitsburg Revitalization Committee (the organization responsible for the original streetscape project) from 2001- 2009 and reminded the Council of the many steps and phases involved in that project, from obtaining funding to creating the final plan. Hamann said that the final plan was created out of three community input sessions and there were some things that were very clear.

"When it came to the public art piece, they wanted some kind of sculpture of the founding fathers that would be life size and interactive - something that would allow people to mingle with the sculpture and have their picture taken with it," he said. Hamann explained that a lack of funding at the time required that the art be delayed until a later phase.

"I think it's important that we honor a lot of people's hard work on the original streetscape," he said. "It's very clear to me that the sculpture and not the obelisk is what the community selected. I just want to make sure the Council was aware of the history and what the community had desired."

Project Manager Jeana Garske cited her credentials as former ArtWalla Director and her recommendation to the City by Sherwood Trust. Garske assured the Council that the process was as "fair, honest and objective" as possible.

"I urge you to respect all the work of the selection committee and this process that was followed very honestly and with due diligence and is supported by Sherwood Trust which is where the money is coming from," she said.

Following more public discussion on the details of the two pieces, Councilman K.C. Kuykendall asked if it would be possible to take a poll of the community. City Clerk Randy Hinchliffe responded that May's Waitsburg Celebration Days deadline didn't allow enough time for that.

Pro Tem Mayor Marty Dunn thanked the Commission and the artists for their time and work. "With that in mind, please remember that the Committee's suggestion is a suggestion only and the final decision comes from the board sitting here at this table. If we make the wrong decision please don't be upset with us, if we make the right decision, be pleased."

After a false start in which a motion for approval for each version of "The Game Table" was made and neither motion was seconded, the Council went on to approve the Art Commission's recommendations of both Chabre's and Broel's sculptures, with the understanding than the image of an eye on Broel's piece would be removed.