Historic Gresham Unveils Bronze Sculpture of Driscoll, a Beloved Guide Dog
by Christy Caplan
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July 10, 2016 
Artist Heather Soderberg with Driscoll bronze guide dog
Oregon’s fourth largest city and training site for Guide Dogs for the Blind will unveil a beautiful bronze statue of Driscoll, a Guide Dog, on the corner of 3rd & Main Street in Gresham, Oregon this Friday, July 15.
The Gresham Breakfast Lions Club, Gresham Centennial Committee, art lovers, as well as City and State officials are gathering to celebrate this new sculpture at the “Pause for Paws” event in conjunction with the Gresham Outdoor Public Art (GOPA) organization.
The GOPA and Guide Dogs for the Blind are thrilled to showcase Driscoll, created by world famous artist Heather Soderberg. The story behind the sculpture? Driscoll was a dog raised and trained locally in Gresham. His presence in statue form is a reminder of the hard work and dedication of all loyal Guide Dogs. The statue shows Driscoll looking up and expressing thanks to all the trainers who spent countless hours training these special dogs.
Local artist, Heather Soderberg, is known for her latest sculpture of “Sacawagea, Pompi and Seaman” commissioned by the Port of Cascade Locks and has gained regional and worldwide attention.
Guide Dogs for the Blind FACTOID: Every year 144 dogs graduate from the Boring campus, helping 144 visually impaired or blind individuals.
WHEN: On July 15, 2016 at 6 p.m. in Historic Downtown Gresham.
About the artist:
Heather Soderberg gained national and worldwide attention as a young sculpting prodigy when her story was featured by Paul Harvey, People magazine, National Geographic world and “That’s Incredible”.
Heather Moved to Portland to work in a bronze foundry as a welder. In 2009 she bought the foundry she worked at and moved it to the heart of the Columbia River Gorge. Heather and her husband Richard Greene work together in their studio creating monuments and timeless bronze statues of collectors and institutions worldwide.
She is currently sculpting the world’s largest bronze Bald Eagle. It is sculpted entirely by hand without the use of enlargement technology that is so popular with artists right now.
