55 SW Ash St.
Completed in 1996 by Robert Calvo, Ascension at Fire Station 01 is a public sculpture of steel, brick, and glass symbolizing the bravery and daily heroism of firefighters. The piece uses vertical ladders and columns to represent the connection between firefighters and the buildings they protect. The ladders symbolize their tools, their bravery, and the idea of striving upward toward goals.
The piece was funded by Portland’s “Percent for Art” program, which helps bring public art into community spaces, and it is part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection.
Because it stands at a fire station, Ascension not only adds visual interest to the street but also honors the mission of the fire bureau. For people passing by, the sculpture encourages them to look upward and think about effort, safety, and community, showing how art can give meaning to everyday places.
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Discussion Questions :
How does this art make you feel?
Vocabulary: ascension
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State Education Standards:
Visual Arts.5.PR2.3 Compare and contrast how art exhibited in and outside of school in museums, galleries, and other venues, including virtual spaces, contributes to the community. Presenting-Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.
Visual Arts..7.RE1.3 Distinguish between different types of art and determine messages communicated. Responding-Perceive and analyze artistic work.
Visual Arts..8.RE2.3 Interpret art by identifying the mood suggested by a work of art and describing relevant subject matter and basic art elements. Responding-Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work