‘Googly Eye Bandit' in Oregon Comes Forward

New York Times

26-01-2025

Last month, googly eyes appeared on pieces of public art throughout Bend, Ore. Drivers would rubberneck, befuddled and amused by statues of deer and other sculptures that had been given an irreverent, cross-eyed gaze.
The eyes became a sensation, except among frustrated city officials, who paid for their removal.
The identity of the person behind the pranks, who became known as the Googly Eye Bandit, was unknown. That is until Jeff Keith came forward to claim responsibility.
Mr. Keith, 53, who runs the Guardian Group, a nonprofit focused on disrupting sex trafficking in the United States, said that in mid-December he sneaked into the middle of a roundabout and put the googly eyes on some public art.
'Big Ears' by Joe Halko, a sculpture depicting a family of deer, became googly-eyed — including the little fawn between its mother's legs.
'If Bambi's mom had had those eyes, maybe she'd have seen that hunter coming,' Stephen Colbert joked on an episode of 'The Late Show.'
'I love making people smile,' Mr. Keith said in an interview on Saturday. 'Other people started joining in. I'm not taking credit for all of them. That's the cool part.'
Placing the eyes around the city was a 'release' from the nature of his work, he said, adding that he did not know who else joined the effort.
Even more googly eyes appeared on statues around Bend. Among other art installations, a six-foot sphere was brought to life and given a touch of whimsy and a red phoenix took on an air of bewilderment.
While the pranks got widespread attention, it was left to the city to remove the eyes.
'While the googly eyes placed on the various art pieces around town might give you a chuckle,' the city said on Instagram in December, 'it costs money to remove them with care to not damage the art.​'
The city paid $1,500 to have the eyes removed while carefully preventing damage to the art, according to its spokeswoman.
Some online commenters were frustrated with the city, saying that officials couldn't take a joke and suggesting better uses for the city's budget.
'These googly eyes give me the hope to move forward each day,' one commenter wrote.
Mr. Keith, who has lived in Bend for over two decades, said he went to the city offices and offered to pay for the cleanup that but he had not heard back.
Bend's communications department did not respond to a request for comment on Saturday about Mr. Keith's offer and whether the city had identified him as the prankster.
'Honestly, they just want to be done with it,' Mr. Keith said of the city. He added that he came forward only after he learned of the potential damage the googly eyes had caused.
KTVZ, a local broadcaster, and Oregonlive.com reported earlier about Mr. Keith being behind the prank.
Mr. Keith said that he has been behind other public pranks. He said he placed white balloons around Bend after Americans were captivated by a Chinese balloon that drifted over continental American airspace in 2023.
'I spend 50 bucks a month on my pranks,' Mr. Keith said. 'It's about 10 cents a smile because I know how many people hit our roundabout. It's worth it.'
Some cities have embraced the googly eyes.
After a campaign and a lighthearted but earnest demonstration by supporters, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority affixed googly-eye decals to some of its trains last year. For a short time, the trains, with their bug-eyed look, bemused and amused riders around Boston.