Three heavy, metal musicians are coming to town for a long-term engagement.

A bronze sculpture featuring a bench with three children playing instruments is taking shape.

Peter Helzer, the Eugene-area artist who brought Medford the Central Library’s bronze gates and monster bench, as well as the recently vandalized Vogel Plaza chess player, is working overtime to complete a life-size sculpture of young musicians to grace the corner of Ninth Street and Central Avenue in Medford.

"I was out in the studio until 11 o’clock last night," Helzer said in a telephone interview Tuesday, adding that he’s working seven days a week to get the sculpture in place by the first of the year.

Helzer’s sculpture project was among half a dozen submissions to the Medford Arts Commission in August. The commission has $40,000 from the city’s budget to spend on this public art project. The commission also paid for the chess man and the Medford welcome sign on Highway 62.

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Lesley Klecan, commission chairwoman, said the proposals were evaluated in many areas.

"From artistic merit to professional expertise to resistance to vandalism," said Klecan. She said Helzer’s proposal was chosen because it consistently passed the commission’s criteria, and because it looks welcoming.

"It’s very approachable," she said. "It’s very warm and inviting."

Helzer, 57, of Dexter, is a fifth-generation Oregonian who says his roots run deep. "We were the second wagon train into Eugene," he said.

That’s explains some of his conviction to decline offers to do out-of-state projects.

Portland, Tualatin, Salem, Eugene, Bend and Medford all have some of his pieces. He said Corvallis has the most.

In 2003, he unveiled a sculpture of his former neighbor and friend, the late Ken Kesey in Eugene.

Helzer, who received a master’s in fine arts from the University of Oregon, has his own foundry and does all the stages of sculpting himself.

The structure begins with a steel skeleton; then he sculpts the entire piece out of clay, then makes a series of plaster molds from the clay sculpture. He then pulls the molds off, pours hot wax into the form and builds another mold (from a cement ceramic material) around that. That material is fired in a kiln, and then the bronze is poured into it. He said the hardest part is the welding, grinding and smoothing of the bronze to make it smooth as skin.

Meanwhile, the three young models are picking out songs to practice so they can come to Medford and play for the dedication celebration.

Helzer said this project means more to him than most because his daughter’s one of the models.

"It’s a piece that I’ve been thinking about in my head since my daughter began playing (banjo) seven years ago," he said. "This one I just have a lot of emotion invested in."

Artist will repair sculpture

A life-size bronze chess player was placed in Vogel Plaza in 2002. On Oct. 9, two people in a sport-utility vehicle allegedly rammed and tried to steal the sculpture, before a witness stopped them.

Bryan Patrick Graley, 25, of Klamath Falls, was jailed and charged with first-degree theft, first-degree criminal mischief and reckless driving four days after the crime.

The chess player and table are in police custody, said Helzer, so he hasn’t been able to thoroughly assess the damage, but he has seen photos, he said.

"The part that was damaged the most was the table and the chessboard," said Helzer, adding that he will repair the sculpture.

Brian Sjothun, interim director of the Medford Parks and Recreation department, said there are no plans to add protection around the chess player after it is repaired and put back in place.

Helzer said he often hears from chess players who have looked at the board and assess the chess player’s situation.

"He’s in big trouble," said Helzer. "He’s not checkmated, but he’s in trouble. ... I think it’s checkmate in three moves."

Helzer said that since the vandalism, he has received a lot of sympathy notes and calls.

He said this is one of two vandalism incidents to his art. He said someone drove a sport-utility vehicle into a sculpture of Canada geese in Bend and stole the sculptures.

Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail mlanders@mailtribune.com