Construction workers begin the process of removing the art installation at the Millennium Plaza Park Oswego Lake entry Tuesday, June 17. (Staff photo: Corey Buchanan)

The city of Lake Oswego is beginning work to remove an art installation deemed to be a barrier to safe access to Oswego Lake from the lone public entrypoint.

The local government began work to remove the installation, called “Spirit of the Marsh,” Tuesday, June 17.

The installation, by artist Mark Andrew, featured 44 tons of rock and 29 bronze cattails and was built in 2025. The project, which was done in conjunction with the buildout of Headlee Walkway, cost $34,000 to install and was paid for via the city’s Redevelopment Agency budget.

In a recent court ruling, Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge Kathi Steele ordered that the city remove barriers to the lake entrypoint at Millennium Plaza Park after previously determining that the waters of the lake are considered public and that the city’s previous rules preventing access to the waterbody were unlawful.

Removing the barriers costs the city $67,000 and the work consists of “mobilization and demobilization, traffic control measures and permits, protection of all existing park facilities and infrastructure, salvage and preservation of ornamental artwork and removal and proper disposal of riprap rock,” according to the city.

Once the art piece is removed, it will be up to the Arts Council of Lake Oswego to decide what to do with it. And that will depend in part on its condition.

“We will evaluate the piece once it comes out and address questions– what is the status of the materials, do repairs need to be made, what kind of condition is it in? As it is part of the City’s permanent collection we will work with them to tell the next part of the story of this piece of art,” said Arts Council of Lake Oswego Executive Director Nicole Nathan via email.