Art for the generations

Artist and fourth-generation Lagunan Jon Seeman can’t wait to give back to the community that has helped him become a top sculptor.

Seeman gained initial approval Monday for $240,000 in public art commissions — including the largest in the city’s history.

If approved by the City Council next month, Seeman will receive $190,000 to create three public art elements for the new community and senior center on Third Street: a mural, sculpture and bench.

He was selected from five finalists by a unanimous vote of the Arts Commissioners present at their Monday night meeting. Commissioner Mike Tauber wasn’t in attendance.

Commissioners said it was the second time in memory they unanimously agreed on a major project; previously, it was for the John Barber/Louis Longi public art elements at the ACT V city parking facility and public yard.

Whales and seagulls

Seeman’s senior center submission included a statue of a breaching whale; a wave bench with a cover that creates a shadow silhouette effect of seagulls flying; and a mural depicting flying pelicans and a Heisler Park overlook.

Patrons of the center’s art studio would look out the windows into the eye of the whale.

Most of the art elements will be crafted in stainless or COR-TEN weathering steel, with some concrete and glass elements.

A large glass sun will overlook the Heisler Park scene; the glass globe will be lit at night.

The design is a departure from Seeman’s typically abstract, geometric works.

Seeman expressed his delight at how, when residents are giving directions to the senior center, they would be able to say to “look for the whale and pull in under the pelicans.”

“The whale is the greatest sea creature, and the greatest asset of this town is the sea,” he said.

Deep roots in Laguna

Rather than focus exclusively on his design during his presentation, Seeman began by detailing more than 100 years of his family’s presence in Laguna, beginning with his great-great-aunt, who lived in Silverado Canyon in the 1890s.

She rode a stagecoach to Laguna Beach to draw and paint during that time, before moving to New York to study art.

Seeman’s great-great-grandfather moved to Laguna Beach in 1906, and was the city’s first fire chief, he said. His uncle also served as a fire captain.

Seeman grew up in Laguna Beach, with a view of Bird Rock from his house, and followed in his great-great-aunt’s footsteps, traveling to Manhattan to learn his craft before returning to California where he studied at Laguna College of Art & Design and Otis College of Art and Design.

He has developed a career creating his geometric, kinetic metal sculptures for a worldwide clientele, and is a 27-year veteran of the Festival of Arts.

“Time seems to be flying by,” he said. “For the first time, I’m going to concentrate on public art. I just wanted to leave my mark in history, and do something for the town that has provided me with a life as an artist.”

Seeman gets Bluebird gate

Later that night, Seeman was selected as the sole finalist out of 10 in a $50,000 statewide competition to design a new gate for Bluebird Park.

Commissioner Suzi Chauvel voted against the selection, as she wanted to see more finalists named. Commission Chair Nancy Beverage did not participate in the vote.

Seeman was the only Bluebird competition entrant to attend the meeting.

In addition, many of the Bluebird submissions were incomplete, leaving commissioners uncertain as to whether the entrants would be able to adequately complete the project, due to its projected scope.

Seeman’s gate uses kinetic elements like a 14-foot-high kite, flying bluebirds and whirling balls to make the entrance appealing to children; the park houses a Boys & Girls Clubs facility.

Landscape architect Ann Christoph, a former Laguna Beach mayor, who attended the meeting, designed the rehabilitation of the park; she found all 10 entries lacking.

She also said the yellow color used in Seeman’s gate does not match the play equipment inside the park, and found the play elements on the gate to be peculiar.

“I grew up going to Bluebird Park,” Seeman told the commission. “Kids want to be able to approach a park and see that it is fun and inviting.”

Top honors

At Monday’s meeting, the Arts Commission viewed 10-minute presentations by each of the senior center competition’s five finalists.

The five were whittled down from 10 original entries; each finalist was required to create and present a scale model of their entry.

The five finalists were Seeman and teams composed of Barber and Lance Jost; Jorg Dubin, Jeff Peters and Mark Garry; Julia Klemek, Leah Vasquez and John Warren; and Gerard Stripling and Michele Taylor.

Seeman was the only finalist who has not yet created public art for the city’s collection, although his work is on view throughout the Southland in both public settings and in private collections.

The finalists brought their scale models to City Hall prior to the Arts Commission meeting for review by city stakeholders.

“We were all blown away,” Beverage said of the submissions. “Your models are just exceptional.”

Several members of the public also left comments, but Cultural Arts Manager Sian Poeschl said that there were no major concerns posed with any of the designs.

Stripling and Taylor presented a bronze and glass design that featured a mural of branches and glass leaves; a bench bedecked with the shoes of those who would use the facility; and a sculpture of a wing.

Barber and Jost’s entry illustrated the fable of the star thrower, first written by Loren Eiseley but later romanticized by Joel Barker. The story is a parable of the importance of making a difference in the lives of others.

The submission included a sculpture of the starthrower, a colorful “tidepool” bench and a mural of glass sea stars and other marine life.

The Dubin/Peters/Garry entry, “Laguna Lives Forever,” featured a glass waterfall, an iridescent white tree and stacked granite benches. A bronze circle would link the building with the sidewalk, creating a symbol of community and eternity.

The Klemek/Vasquez/Warren team created “Branchings,” which featured overlapping forms, a nature-inspired mural and a large sculpture of boughs.

Several residents expressed their support for the Klemek/Vasquez/Warren piece, saying it was the most connected and natural.

Ann Quilter of Laguna Beach Seniors supported the Barber/Jost piece, saying it best evoked the spirit of Laguna and of what would go on inside the building.

Each of the commissioners thanked the other finalists before stating their support of the Seeman piece.

Several said that there were elements of each entry that they would like to see submitted in future competitions.

Commissioner Pat Kollenda spoke of the cohesiveness of the Seeman piece.

“I am making a choice that is best for the city and best for the site,” Commissioner Joan Corman said.

A mother with two small boys viewed the entries before the Arts Commission meeting; her children ran up to each of Seeman’s pieces among the crowd of entries, commissioners recalled.

Seeman prepared sculptures early this year for the summer festival season, in anticipation that he might win one or both of the competitions.

“I just felt so confident in what I was proposing,” he said. “I tried to tie in what this great town is all about.”

Paying for art

The senior center commission is funded primarily by the city as part of its Art in Public Places program, which dictates that developers acquire and install artwork on the project site that has a value of at least 1% of the total project cost.

Should a developer not choose to add art to the site, they must contribute 1.25% of the project cost to the city’s Art In-Lieu fund.

As the city is developing the site, it opted to hold an art competition to select a work for the site.

Additional cash for the commission came from the city’s Business Improvement District funds, which are raised based on a 2% hotel occupancy tax.

Half of the funds go to the Visitors and Conference Bureau; the other half go to the commission’s special programs budget; cultural arts funding for various groups; Laguna Art Museum; the Laguna Playhouse; and the Laguna College of Art & Design.