In June 2020, Gearhart welcomed its first piece of public art, “Trantler,” by Keri Rosebraugh.

The 12-foot-high blended form of an elk antler and tree was positioned and installed in the garden area of the Sweet Shop. The sculpture was removed for scheduled repairs. The new owners of the Sweet Shop, Andre Allen Anjos and Ireland Baldwin, hope that it will remain in Gearhart.

“We’ve been working with OCVA (Oregon Coast Visitors Association) and the artist to move Trantler to a public location within Gearhart,” Anjos said Tuesday.

Two years ago, owner Traci Williams and Gearhart artist Harold Gable teamed to approach Rosebraugh with the idea of bringing public art to Williams’ patio space. They applied for and won funds from the Oregon Cultural Trust, Travel Oregon and Travel Portland to promote public art.

The name “Trantler” came from a tree and an antler put together, Rosebraugh said at its opening.

“It’s specific to Gearhart, because of honoring trees and timber industry as well as taking note of the dialogue of the elk in the area,” she said. “The life of wood is totally different from the life of bronze, but yet they can live together harmoniously in the same world and it works out.”

The Sweet Shop legally agreed to host the piece for 10 years, Williams said. The contract stated that if the business sold and the new owners didn’t want it, or if there was another need for the space, the Trantler sculpture could be removed by the artist.

Last October Williams sold the property to Pen Pen Industries LLC, of Portland, which lists Grammy Award winner Anjos as the registered agent. The Portland-based musician, known by his stage name, RAC, won a Grammy in 2017 for his remix of Bob Moses’ “Tearing Me Up.”

Rosebraugh said she is working with the Oregon Coast Visitors Association to re-home the piece.

Several sites, including public land in Gearhart, have been considered for the sculpture’s relocation, but nothing formally decided.

Meanwhile, Anjos and Baldwin have yet to announce plans for the store.

“We’re still shooting for a late spring/early summer reopen,” Anjos said. “But we’re still very much in the design phase. We’re very eager to get things going but we just want to make sure it’s great.”