The Emily Steele Sculpture Collection
In 2018, Bob, Emily, and the Steele family donated a collection of Emily Steele’s glass sculptures to The Arts Center, along with endowed funding to ensure the collection’s care and to support The Arts Center’s long-term operations.
The collection includes twelve monumental glass sculptures. Three are on long-term loan for public display at Linn-Benton Community College’s Chinook Hall, while nine are available for exhibition at regional public venues.
This gift reflects the Steele’s lifelong commitment to making the arts accessible and to sustaining The Arts Center’s creative mission.
About Emily Steele (1939-2020)
Emily Steele was an Oregon-based glass artist active from 1970 to 1990. She forged her own path in the field of art glass, creating a modern interpretation of stained glass that pushed beyond its traditional, two-dimensional boundaries.
After studying the Tiffany glass technique while living in Boston, Steele began experimenting with light, line, and form. Over time, she developed an innovative sculptural style, using glass as both structure and surface. Her works integrate steel framing, slumped glass, and carefully crafted lead lines to create luminous, three-dimensional forms that feel architectural and organic.
Steele’s creative process was improvisational. She collaborated with skilled craftspeople — including Finstad Heating and Sheet Metal and potter Dale Donovan — to design the molds and frames that shaped her flowing, undulating sculptures.
Her sources of inspiration were wide-ranging: the properties of glass itself, her love of poetry, and her interest in spiritual philosophies. The resulting works are timeless and contemplative, often abstract yet deeply expressive.
Emily with steel frame for Castellan of the Holy Church
Darian Memory
Selective Exhibitions and Collections
Steele’s work has been featured in exhibitions at the Portland Art Museum, the Ankrum Gallery in Los Angeles, and The Arts Center in Corvallis.
Public collections include installations at Timberline Lodge, Good Samaritan Hospital, and the First Presbyterian Church of Corvallis.
Fountain Gallery Show (Portland, OR)
Legacy of Support
Emily and Dr. Robert (Bob) Steele believed deeply in supporting the arts. In addition to donating this remarkable collection, they established the Steele Family Fund within The Arts Center’s Endowment Fund to sustain exhibitions and ensure art remains accessible to the community.
Their generosity ensures that future generations will continue to experience and be inspired by creativity in our region.
For information on supporting The Arts Center through donations or other giving opportunities, please visit our Donate page.