SOUNDING OFF: Public art process needs to grow up

Enough already with the finger-pointing and blame game.

With lots of confusion, hurt feelings, out-of-pocket artist time and expenses, etc., the biggest city-funded public art project is done.

Fault, at least by omission, falls on both the City Council and the Arts Commission. Questions weren’t known or asked, information and specific landscape and architectural design elements weren’t considered, or included, etc.

This is, I firmly believe, part of our city’s cultural “growing pains.”

Mistakes are feedback “” our way to grow and effect positive changes.

After all, we’ve had to suffer with the City Council’s own final choice before, too.

Remember the “The People’s Council” art piece “” which, by the way, also had many surprise, extenuating circumstances, including a surprise revamp for wheelchair access?

The Arts Commission submitted three different pieces, and it was the City Council who ultimately selected the final choice, based on submitted renderings. In this day and age, our council and commission both need additional counsel for such major installations.

A cohesive macro-to-micro approach is now needed, considering aesthetic, business, traffic, architectural, landscape, disability, budget, marketing and a host of other factors.

As an art community, we need to “grow up” to truly support our artists and our city vision.

Out of the senior center project debacle has come a positive step “” the appointment of a subcommittee formed to determine the best location for the Breached Whale.

While I applaud this idea, I believe that such an advisory board should be a mandatory part of every city public art project now.

The board I suggest would be comprised of an architect; a landscape design professional; a commercial art expert (preferably from Laguna Art Museum, Laguna College of Art and Design, etc.) who has specific experience in location and installation of monumental art pieces; a community business member (perhaps someone from the Visitor and Conference Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, etc.); and one other passionate, knowledgeable local individual. Face it “” we need help in this arena.

Even our great pieces aren’t always situated to the best advantage of the art or the city. Many factors now need to be weighed.

For instance, how many of you have visited Crescent Bay Park lately? We have a duo of new wonderful sculptures by Terry Thornsley titled “Laguna Locals.” This piece is great fun and emulates our local sea lion and pelican community. No offense to the artists, but let’s talk about “location, location, location” “” and installation.

The sea lion, a 4-foot metal sculpture, now swims where the low cement planter once was “” by the cement mini-stadium seats, with its pelican friends standing guard directly behind. The flat cement base does nothing to highlight the statue or the area and actually takes away dimension, color and texture.

Each morning on my walk, I am now transported to San Diego’s Sea World, waiting with bated breath for the Shamu show. Not necessarily a bad feeling, but for all the locals who know this to be one of the few wedding ceremony sites in town, I ask you “” would you like to recite your vows standing face-to-fin with a swimming seal?

In high-end magazines and brochures, we specifically promote Laguna as a desirable wedding location. Why despoil one of our favorite such sites? A new tile or metal low planter, plaque or small sundial might have been a better overall option for this particular sacred space.

As for Terry Thornsley’s playful sea lion, which everyone adores, a more central, prominent location (closer to Heisler Park or Main Beach); the Pacific Marine Mammal Center; downtown; or even another Crescent Bay Park location would have given it far more exposure and extended the pleasure of our tourists and locals as well. Just a thought.

Now that the city is stepping up its art investments, let’s also step up artist support by considering site and installation more thoroughly. Then, both the artist and the city benefit and are shown in the most positive light.

By the way, since we’re relocating the Breached Whale, is there any chance that we could start putting money in our budget to relocate other pieces? Perhaps the People’s Council could be moved and become part of the Senior Center, or Heisler Park? I wonder”¦. Finally, let’s make sure that our city budget has adequate maintenance funding to keep our treasures shining for years to come.

JOANNE SUTCH lives in Laguna Beach.