A public art project that placed miniature artworks inside old parking meters across downtown Eugene is gradually disappearing as pieces are vandalized, removed, or damaged.
In 2025, the New Zone Gallery teamed up with more than two dozen local artists to launch the “Parking Meter Art Repair Project.” Around 250 small art pieces were installed in broken parking meters as a form of guerrilla art aimed at brightening up neglected spots around the city.
But months later, many of those artworks have been damaged or taken. One piece created for KLCC featuring a radio, microphone and transmission tower is now missing.
Eugene sculptor Judd Turner, who helped organize the project, said the disappearance of some works reflects the temporary nature of street art.
“Street art lives a rough life,” Turner said. “I don’t even know that I would say it got stolen because it wasn’t officially approved to be there. If someone loved a piece enough to remove it and take it home, I’m sort of okay with that.”
Artist Rex Redmond created the KLCC-themed installation and said he knew it might not last when he installed it last August with former KLCC news director Tripp Sommer.
“It was ultimately a love note to KLCC,” Redmond said, noting he spent hours creating the piece.
Redmond later learned the City of Eugene removed the artwork after it became damaged and was considered unsafe. He has contacted city officials to see if it could be reinstalled in the future.
Turner and fellow artist Robert Bolman installed many of the pieces using screws so they could be removed if needed. Some installations had special tamper-resistant screws, particularly pieces with sentimental value, such as memorial portraits created by artist Karin Clarke to honor her daughter Ava, who died of cancer last year.
Despite the losses, Redmond said the project has been too enjoyable to stop.
“It won’t deter me from making more parking meter art,” he said.
The remaining artworks may not last much longer anyway. Turner said the city plans to upgrade its parking meters eventually, which will likely remove the rest of the installations.
Until then, he encourages people to enjoy the unexpected bursts of creativity still scattered across downtown Eugene.
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