Statesman Journal’s ‘What’s that?’ feature shares construction news
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Location: 555 Liberty St. SE
After a monthlong absence, the untitled “Black Discs” sculpture is back at Mirror Pond at Salem City Hall.
The sculpture by Oregon artist and former University of Oregon teacher William “Bill” Roy was accepted into the city’s public art collection in 1972.
Originally made from plastic, the piece was remade for the city out of steel disks used for farming.
Kathleen Swarm, Salem’s events program manager, said years of being outside left the sculpture’s surface worn and covered in organic growth.
The black topcoat of paint had been scratched and worn through, with rusted metal and primer showing through in many spots.
Crews deinstalled, transported and repaired the sculpture.
Repairs cost $6,600 and were paid through the public art trust fund.
Work included cleaning, sandblasting down to bare metal, welding corroded pieces, applying a zirconium anticorrosion solution both inside and outside, an epoxy primer coat, filler coat, two layers of epoxy finish coat, and one layer of UV finish clear coat.
Swarm said the rehabilitation of the sculpture provided a highly durable and low-maintenance finish that will only require periodic cleaning.
History of the Black Discs at Salem’s Mirror Pond
The display was originally created for the Oregon Faculty Sculpture Exhibit in 1972.
Roy worked as an assistant professor of art at the University of Oregon from 1968 to 1978.
Obituary records indicate he died in 2012.
City officials said Roy’s work “reflects a deep connection to his materials, combining intellectual depth with a practical understanding of industrial origins.”
His legacy continues to be celebrated through his contributions to public art and education, city officials said.
The sculpture was installed at the Salem Civic Center reflecting pond in 1973, according to Statesman Journal archives.
It was donated by Britta Lion Franz and Martin Franz, the former Salem Art Commission chairman and owner of LaPointe’s store.
Over the decades, city officials said the sculpture became a cherished part of Salem’s public art collection.
Is there something under construction you’d like to tell us about or find out more about? Contact reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com
