New Lewiston High sculpture proves to be monumental project

The Bengal Monument, a bronze sculpture checking in at nearly 1,000 pounds and 11 feet long, was unveiled during a Thursday afternoon ceremony at Lewiston High School.

The statue is a gift from the Class of 1977, although many others contributed to its creation, including two men who were inspired by LHS teachers — in very different ways.

The unveiling came on a warm, blue-sky day with the student body and a handful of guests gathered around the oversized sculpture, which is planted near the entrance of the school’s west wing. A black sheet covering the mascot was lifted by a drone, which drew a round of applause and led to a picture-taking frenzy at the monument.

“I can’t tell you how many pictures will be taken with that bengal over the next few years,” Lewiston High Principal Kevin Driskill said during an assembly prior to the unveiling.

After the new high school opened in 2020, the district has added a few “symbols for our students when they walk through the doors,” Superintendent Lance Hansen said. When Hansen talked to Jan Barrett, president of the Class of ‘77, he mentioned a few modest projects her class could fund.

“Or ... would you like to do something a little more substantive?” Hansen recalled of their conversation. “Well, that got Jan’s wheels turning — and I guess that’s why she was the class president.... She said, ‘Let’s go with substantive.’”

The plan was hatched to build the Bengal Monument, and Deary artist Shayne Watkins was given the assignment. At first, he planned to create a life-sized bengal that would be about 6 feet long.

But when he and Hansen looked at the site, the plan changed.

“Lance said, ‘You know, I’m not sure I want to go life size,’” Watkins recalled. “My heart just sunk. I thought he wanted to drop the project. He said, ‘Can you go bigger?’ I said, ‘Yes, I hope so.’”

Watkins, 57, started the sculpting process last October. He also served as the project manager, arranging for contractors to install the bronze beast.

“I really thank the Lewiston School District for believing in me and being confident I could do this,” he said. “I put my heart and soul into this for the last year. It was all a positive experience — every bit of it.”

Watkins, a 1984 LHS graduate, learned bronze casting from Bob Murphy, the high school metal shop teacher who created a foundry at the school. He also was mentored by Lewiston sculptor Ralph Crawford, who became his stepfather-in-law in 2006.

Both men died this year, but not before Watkins talked to them about the project and expressed his gratitude for their guidance.

Watkins, a retired forester, had previously done tabletop sculptures of wildlife and historic topics. Now, he’s hoping to work on more public art like the Bengal Monument.

The project cost a little less than $100,000, which was raised by the Class of ‘77. The campaign got a $50,000 donation from Dwayne Clark, an executive, author, film producer and philanthropist who attended Lewiston schools from 1966-74.

Clark, who reportedly has $2.5 billion in assets, spoke at the assembly prior to the unveiling and talked about his rags-to-riches story. His single mother left an abusive relationship and moved him and his siblings to Lewiston, where she struggled to keep food on the table.

His mother did provide him with a sense of “confidence and curiosity,” Clark said. She would tell him he was going to be the president of the United States someday. That didn’t happen, but he has met five presidents and owns more than 100 artifacts that once belonged to John F. Kennedy.

He also owns 37 “exotic cars,” met with the pope at the Vatican and rubs elbows with celebrities and athletes on a regular basis.

During his brief time as a Lewiston High student, Clark wasn’t on a promising path. He skipped most of his classes as a sophomore in 1974, other than Rosie Steiner’s mythology class.

“I have to admit, I was more in love with Rosie Steiner than mythology,” he said.

Steiner convinced him to cut back on his skipping. Clark attended an algebra class and was given a makeup test, which he cheated on. The teacher figured out his cheating and berated him.

Clark recalled the teacher saying: “You’re not that smart. You’re a loser. You’re never going to amount to anything.”

With that, he left Lewiston High, upset and embarrassed. The episode inspired him to change his ways, and he eventually graduated from DeSales High at Walla Walla.

During his speech, Clark drew a distinction between talent and obsession.

“Talent is God-given. Obsession is something different. Obsession makes you run through brick walls. What happened in that algebra class with that teacher, he gave me obsession.”

Clark’s visit to Lewiston on Thursday was his first time in the city since 1974. He made a quick tour of the town, noting what things had changed — and what things were unchanged.

“For me, quite frankly, it was a little bit of a closure loop, coming back and being able to do this for the school,” he said. “I sometimes tell the kids I mentor, ‘Great things happen out of painful things sometimes,’ and you close that loop. A lot of this was cathartic for me, closing that loop.”

Baney may be contacted at mbaney@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2262. Follow him on Twitter @MattBaney_Trib.