
On Thursday evening, March 9, 2023, Peter's friends and colleagues gathered at the Fremont Foundry, his remarkable artist-built facility, to say goodbye to their old friend.




The combination birthday party + memorial, MC'd by Mike Magrath and hosted by the Gage Academy of Art Sculpting Department, included a Eulogy from Jon Hegeman followed by heartwarming, and sometimes outrageous, stories about Peter as a college student, Fremonster, artist, rebel, visionary and communitarian, as recounted by his three close friends Bud Collier, Barbara Luecke, and Jay Gore.
Peter's legacy consultant, Pamela Belyea, followed with the historic announcement that, through his estate, Peter's name and deeds would live on through his generous provision to three national sculpture organizations, as follows:
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Underwrite an annual $100K "International Peter Bevis Environmental Sculpture Award" through the International Sculpture Center in NJ.
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Gift the Blackfoot Pathways | Sculpture in the Woods in MT with funds to both purchase and double the land where their monumental environmental sculptures are sited.
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Provide capital funding to Salem Art Works in NY to upgrade their foundry and educational facilities in support of community programs for sculptors of all ages.
The memorial program ended with folk singer + composer, Jon Pontrello, premiering his dramatic and uplifting ode to Peter, "The Ballad of Peter Bevis." You can listen to Jon singing his ballad here and you can read Jon's lyrics here.
With Veraci's wood-fired pizza oven fired up in the courtyard, an open bar manned by Amanda from Capitol Cider, and the Honey Street Jazz Trio playing in the background, the crowd of 100 settled into dining and chatting, followed by:
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The DOOR PRIZE! A Chia Pet Fremont Troll was donated by lead sculptor + architect, Steve Badanes as the evening's Door Prize. The lucky winners were Cindy Herrick and Jon Hegeman.
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The SONGS! The guests, led by Jon Pontrello on guitar, chimed in to sing Peter's favorite song, "L.A. Freeway," before singing "Happy Birthday" and cutting the Kalakala cake.
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The CAKE! The M.V. Kalakala, a remarkable edible replica of the silver Art Deco ferry, created by Mike's Amazing Cakes, was almost too real to cut into. But we did. Yup, we ate the Kalakala!
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The SURPRISE! The finale, a dazzling fireworks display, fabricated by pyrotechnic master and Fremonster Maque Davis, blew up a model of the Kalakala! Just like old times.
photo gallery
Photos © Will Austin (W.A.) + Dean Wenick (D.W.). Double click on image to read caption.
SPECIAL THANKS to Peter's friends who helped underwrite this celebration, especially Neva Kaye, Fred Feiertag, Paul Lutsch, Mike Malone + Peggy Sammon.
IN-KIND DONORS: Bob Bejan, Mike's Amazing Cakes, Capitol Cider, Landmark Events Co., + Trader Joes.