EDITORIAL: Art now needs a home

We hope that a great location can be found for the large Jon Seeman sculpture of a whale that we agree was a bit overwhelming for the front of the senior/community center now being built on Third Street.

The Laguna Beach City Council had a tough decision to make Tuesday regarding the works that were recommended by the Arts Commission for this site.

The arguments in favor of the Seeman works were compelling, and the mock-ups were magnificent. In fact, all five finalists’ work was thrilling and it would be wonderful if they all could find a home at the center or at another city-owned site.

In the future, it would be wise if such art competitions spelled out exactly where the art was expected to be located. Apparently it was not clear to the artists that an empty wall — which would be a natural canvas for creativity — was supposed to be covered up with vines under the approved project plans.

We agree with those who said that landscaping should be designed around artwork, and that art should not be designed around landscaping.

This city’s dedication to art of all kinds should be paramount in the minds of city officials and planners.

It was unfortunate that in this case plantings took precedence over art.

The Seeman whale and his other wonderful works, a bench and mural — designed specifically for this site and intended to complement each other — are now basically homeless.

We are pleased that the Seeman art will be erected somewhere in the city, perhaps at a location where it will be enjoyed by even more people than will use the senior/community center.

It’s back to “square one,” however, for the required public art at this new facility.