HomeMy WebLinkAbout26 - Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park - CorrespondenceReceived After Agenda Printed
June 23, 2015
Item No. 26
June 23, 2015
Re: Sculpture Garden expansion
Members of the City Council,
The City of Newport Beach is to be commended on its adoption and implementation of a comprehensive
Arts and Culture Plan - an important part of which is the Civic Center Sculpture Garden - a noble effort.
However, speaking as a long time resident, (not an "expert art critic "), I must regretfully offer some strongly
felt cautionary personal opinions - and a few hopefully constructive options.
Opinions:
1. As restored, the Civic Center Park offers a naturalistic setting, as a pleasant passive recreational and
aesthetic counterpoint to its dynamic surrounding urban setting. They contrast and compliment each other.
2.However, as implemented, the "Sculpture Garden" creates a visual hodgepodge - a chaotic `junkyard'
which diminishes the aesthetic value of both the individual sculptures and their "nature- like" park setting.
3. Even more sculptures in this already cluttered environment would be ludicrous overkill in the extreme
and Likely elicit strong civic and cultural backlash - and further focus attention on the fiscal implications.
4. Each sculpture has merit; but that merit is diminished as presently sited. Yet each sculpture and its
respective environment would be mutually enhanced - if placed in a more aesthetically fitting site..
Options - in substantial conformance with the adopted Art and Culture Plan:
1. Consider a strategy to place and enjoy such sculptural elements in more suitable key local public and
private settings - distributed citywide.
2. Explore a public - private partnership to further fund and enrich such a multi- locale program.
3. Actively encourage local community input and participation as to candidate sites, designs, and uses.
4. Maintain and enhance the passive recreational, environmental, and educational aspects of the Civic
Center park - as an naturalistic area of urban relief offering its own intrinsic value.
5. In the existing "Sculpture Garden" consider high quality sculptural subjects, forms, and materials more in
keeping with the residual naturalistic environment (sometimes a whisper is more commanding than a shout).
Thank you for your encouragement of the arts and for considering these well meant opinions and options.
Respectfully,
-m q-mso�
John H. Anderson, retired industrial designer /city planner emeritus
214 Goldenrod Avenue
Corona del Mar, CA 92625
949 -723 -1556 johnhanderson36 @gmail.com