UNITED STATES NEWS

Man says he was behind some of the viral googly eyes on public art in Oregon

Jan 24, 2025, 6:32 PM

FILE - This image provided by the City of Bend, Ore., shows a pair of googly eyes placed on a publi...

FILE - This image provided by the City of Bend, Ore., shows a pair of googly eyes placed on a public art sculpture in Bend. (City of Bend, Oregon, via AP, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(City of Bend, Oregon, via AP, File)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A resident of the central Oregon city of Bend says he was the person behind some of the googly eyes that appeared on sculptures around the city in recent months and sparked a viral sensation widely covered by news outlets.

Jeff Keith, founder of a Bend-based nonprofit called Guardian Group that works to combat human trafficking, said Friday that he used duct tape to attach googly eyes to two sculptures. He said he has carried out similar pranks on other Bend sculptures before — such as adorning them with hula skirts and leis — and that they serve as a respite from the emotional toll of his work.

“It is a place for me to cope with some pretty heavy stuff,” he told The Associated Press, noting that many of the trafficking victims he has worked with have been through “unimaginable trauma.”

The city shared photos of the googly eye installations on social media in early December, saying the adhesives can damage the art. One photo shows googly eyes placed on a sculpture of two deer — which Keith described as his handiwork — while another shows them attached to a sphere. City officials at the time said eight sculptures were affected and that it cost $1,500 to remove the googly eyes.

The social media posts prompted a cascade of comments, with many social media users saying they liked the googly eyes and that the city shouldn’t spend time and money on removing them. The post and its comments were covered by news outlets, and even made it on a segment of CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

Keith said he didn’t expect his exploits to receive that much attention, and that he went to city offices to offer to pay for any damages. The city didn’t immediately respond Friday to an emailed request seeking confirmation and comment.

Bend’s communications director, Rene Mitchell, told The Associated Press last month that the city regretted that its post had been misunderstood. She said there was no intent to be “heavy-handed” and that the posts were meant to raise awareness about the damage adhesives can do to the city’s public art collection. The city had started treating some of the art pieces, she said, which are made of different types of metal such as bronze and steel.

Keith, who has lived in Bend for nearly two decades, said he also hopes his pranks bring some humor and joy into people’s everyday lives.

“I think the biggest thing is, for me, just to get a laugh,” he said. “When I come up on these roundabouts and I see families laughing, like hysterically laughing at these, it makes for a good time.”

United States News

FILE - The Supreme Court is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott A...

Associated Press

Marbury v. Madison, the case that established the courts’ power to review the law, explained

WASHINGTON (AP) — When it comes to respecting the rulings of courts, President Donald Trump has been of two minds. If the decision goes his way, as it did when the Supreme Court ruled 11 months ago that his name should be on the ballot in Colorado, he hails it as a “BIG WIN FOR […]

2 hours ago

Associated Press

Russian citizen freed in US in exchange for Moscow’s release of American Marc Fogel

The Kremlin said Wednesday that a Russian citizen was freed in the United States in exchange for Moscow’s release of American Marc Fogel. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the unidentified individual would return to Russia “in the coming days,” and when they are in Russia, their name would be revealed. Fogel, an American […]

3 hours ago

FILE - Tiger Stadium is seen before an NCAA football game between LSU and Northwestern State in Bat...

Associated Press

Judge orders LSU to reinstate professor who was removed from class following political comments

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A judge has ordered Louisiana State University to fully reinstate a professor who was removed from his teaching duties last month after he used vulgar language to criticize Gov. Jeff Landry and President Donald Trump during a lecture. The ruling, which allows tenured law professor Ken Levy to return to […]

8 hours ago

Associated Press

Snow and freezing rain pummel the mid-Atlantic while California prepares for likely flooding

Snow, sleet and freezing rain were expected to continue pummeling the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic states Wednesday, while California readied for a storm that could flood areas ravaged by the recent wildfires. Especially heavy snowfall — up to nearly 14 inches (25 centimeters) — was expected in parts of Virginia and West Virginia, according to […]

8 hours ago

FILE - West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey and his wife, Denise, greet people following his swe...

Associated Press

Jim Justice says he turned West Virginia’s budget from cow dung to gold. Gov. Morrisey disagrees

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Jim Justice said he transformed West Virginia’s financial policy from cow dung into gold during his time as governor. But one man’s gold is another man’s … something else. Newly inaugurated Gov. Patrick Morrisey has taken a closer look under the lid of the state’s coffers, and he said […]

8 hours ago

Priya Kathpal, right, and Taylor Williamson, left, who work for a company doing contract work for t...

Associated Press

Trump administration battles employee lawsuit to block dismantling of USAID

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration will present an unforgiving argument for dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development to a federal judge Wednesday: USAID is rife with “insubordination” and must be shut down for the administration to decide what pieces of it to salvage. The argument, made in an affidavit by political appointee and […]

9 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Collins Comfort Masters

Collins Comfort Masters: Your go-to plumbing experts in Arizona

Collins Comfort Masters, a trusted name in HVAC, water and plumbing since 1985, is you go-to plumbers for the residents of Phoenix and the Valley.

...

Asset Preservation Wealth & Tax

How to optimize the most money in 2024 tax returns

As tax season begins, getting your financials in order is important to maximize your tax return.

...

Bright Wealth Management

How IRAs are a helpful tool in retirement planning

When it comes to retirement planning, individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can be a great tool for income growth.

Man says he was behind some of the viral googly eyes on public art in Oregon