HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2022-4634

HR 4634

ByRepresentative Wylie

WHEREAS, Washington State has a rich history of prominent artists who contribute to the culture, economic development, and enrichment of many lives; and

WHEREAS, It is important to recognize the value of our history and indigenous ancient arts, as well as modern contributions; and

WHEREAS, In 1943, after graduating from Vancouver High School, James Lee Hansen enlisted in the United States Navy and served on Destroyer USS Preston in the Pacific for three years; and

WHEREAS, James Lee Hansen, a lifelong resident of Washington, has been a leader of the Northwest master artists, teaching sculpture for over 26 years at Portland State University, Oregon State University, the University of Oregon, and the University of California at Berkeley; and

WHEREAS, As sculptor and poet, James Lee Hansen made a unique contribution to history by preserving and honoring the past while producing a large body of contemporary bronze sculptures and teaching others the craft of bronze casting; and

WHEREAS, James Lee Hansen, before the damming of the Columbia and John Day rivers, made castings of the ancient petroglyphs that became submerged and destroyed by the resulting reservoirs; and

WHEREAS, In 1959 James Lee Hansen organized a collaborative of regional artists to create major architectural art commissions throughout the Northwest; and

WHEREAS, James Lee Hansen designed large concrete panels for the Clark County Title Company in Vancouver, Washington, which the city has reclaimed, preserved, and moved to adorn an entrance to their new waterfront park; and

WHEREAS, The body of work that James Lee Hansen, the artist, produced over a lifetime is represented by major public works in Olympia, Vancouver, and other cities and towns in Washington State, as well as other cities and museums across the nation;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives recognize and appreciate James Lee Hansen and his unique contribution to preserving, honoring, and celebrating the creativity, innovation, and richness of the arts of the past, the present, and the future.