This oral history interview with Lorenzo E. Ghiglieri was conducted by Linda S. Dodds at Ghiglieri’s studio in Portland, Oregon, on September 25, 1980, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library’s oral history program. At the time of the interview, Dodds’ name was Linda S. Brody.

In this interview, Ghiglieri discusses his family background and shares his reasons for moving to Portland, Oregon. He talks about his career as an artist, about the people who taught him, and about how living in the Pacific Northwest influences his art. He speaks about his experience in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, including the art he made as part of his service. He offers his personal definition of sculpture and talks about his favorite sculpting media. He speaks at length about life as an artist in Oregon, lists artists that influenced him, and talks about some of his paintings, including a portrait of President Richard M. Nixon, paintings in the Seventh-day Adventist multimedia presentation “Earth: Theater of the Universe,” and portraits of Inuit people. He discusses the inspirations for some of his sculptures, including “Casey’s Gold,” which depicts a miner holding a nugget of gold, and his sculptures of wildlife. He closes the interview by talking about learning from his mistakes.