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Government » DEPARTMENTS » Library Services » Cultural Arts

Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park

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The Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park is an integral feature of the Newport Beach Civic Center. Civic Center Park, which turned nearly half a million square feet of undeveloped land into a new public park, was designed by renowned landscape architectural firm Peter Walker and Partners (PWP).  The City Arts Commission determined that a rotating exhibition, in which pieces are loaned for a 2-year period, was an optimal approach to bring sculpture to the City in a cost-efficient manner. In 2013, the Newport Beach City Council authorized the City Arts Commission to implement an inaugural rotational sculpture exhibit in Civic Center Park.

Admission is free and the exhibition continues to be enjoyed by residents and guests of all ages and sensibilities. The exhibition has become a “museum without walls” that offers the temporary display of public art in a unique, naturalistic setting. Moreover, the City is able to exhibit a well-balanced representation of public art, with artistic merit, durability, practicality, and site responsiveness as criteria in the selection of work. The rotational nature of the exhibit ensures that residents and guests are exposed to a variety of work. 

The sculptures selected for public vote were chosen by the City Arts Commission, curatorial panel members May Sun, freelance artist and professor at the California Institute of the Arts with a permanent collection at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, and Brian Peterson, muralist, former industrial-designer at Kia Design Center America, and founder of the nonprofit organization, The Faces of Santa Ana; along with representatives from ArtsOC at the December 9, 2021 regular monthly meeting. Panelists discussed criteria for artwork under consideration and reviewed sculpture applications. The panel evaluated the works in four critical areas -- artistic merit, durability, practicality, and site appropriateness -- and then selected artworks of various sizes, mediums, and subject matter for the public online survey. Unlike previous years, the public’s vote selected the final ten sculptures that will be installed for Phase VII of the sculpture exhibition. These sculptures reviewed by City Council at the February 8, 2022 Regular Meeting and were voted for final approval.

Selected sculptures will be on loan to the City of Newport Beach for two years. Sculptors, whose artworks are chosen for installation in Civic Center Park, will receive a small honorarium. The City is responsible for installing the art, while artists are responsible for the maintenance and repair of their work. The outdoor exhibition attracts an audience of all ages, including schoolchildren, the local community, and visitors from Southern California and beyond. 

PHASE VII SCULPTURES: 

The Phase VII sculptures are as follows (left to right):

  • Eve by Joe Forrest Sackett, Albuquerque, NM
  • Pathway Parabola by Greg Mueller, Lutsen Mountain, MN
  • Where Have All The Birds Gone? by Marguerite Elliot, Fairfax, CA
  • Pluma Sculptura, a.k.a. "The Feather" by Kirk Seese, Lutherville-Timonium, MD
  • To The Moon by Alex G, Vista, CA
  • Prey by Mr. & Mrs. Ferguson, Alameda, CA
  • Archeology of the Everyday by Tyler Burton, Palm Springs, CA
  • A Novel Idea by Craig Gray, Key West, FL
  • David by Miggy Buck, New York, NY
  • Cross-Section by Tim DeShong, Caratunk, ME
  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 7 - Eve by Joe Forrest Sackett
    Eve by Joe Forrest Sackett

    You don't think of steel as something which can dance, until Joe Forrest Sackett forms it into this wildly energetic piece evoking the figures of five women dancing in a circle.

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 7 - Pathway Parabola by Greg Mueller
    Pathway Parabola by Greg Mueller

    The form and colors of this archway, designed by Greg Mueller, are inspired by the roots and trunks of trees; perhaps some of the rich, reddish-brown trees found in the forests of his home in Minnesota.

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 7 - Where Have All the Birds Gone - Marguerite Elliot
    Where Have All The Birds Gone? by Marguerite Elliot

    Crows warn us of danger – the 3 crows Marguerite Elliot placed on top of this 15-foot tower call out about the 3 billion birds we've lost in the past 50 years due to manmade causes... and they also cry out for hope.

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 7 - Pluma Sculptura by Kirk Seese
    Pluma Sculptura a.k.a. "The Feather" by Kirk Seese

    Simplicity of design and color can have a powerful impact, as we can see in this delightful creation by Maryland artist Kirk Seese, which looks ready to catch the breeze and take off into the sky.

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 7 - To the Moon - Alex G
    To the Moon by Alex G

    With a simplicity that evokes a feeling of sacred power, Alex G has rendered in steel one of the captivating shapes of the ever-changing moon; so that at any hour of the day, we can enjoy the mystery and wonder inspired by gazing up towards the night sky.

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 7 - Prey -Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson
    Prey by Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson

    This awe-inspiring eagle has flown to us all the way from Burning Man on wings made of real coins, giving us the chance to gaze into the powerful eyes of a predator about to strike.

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 7 - The Archeology of the Every Day - Tyler Burton
    Archeology of the Every Day by Tyler Burton

    This striking square tower, built by Palm Springs artist Tyler Burton from concrete, house paint, and plastic recovered from beaches, is one of what he calls 'Fossils of the Future'; a reminder of the lasting impact of what we leave behind in the Earth.

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 7 - A Novel Idea by Craig Gray
    A Novel Idea by Craig Gray

    The pleasures of a good book on a sunny day are celebrated in this inviting granite bench by Florida artist Craig Gray; and with our beautiful Central Library right down the hill, what's stopping us?

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 7 - David - Miggy Buck
    David by Miggy Buck

    These evocative concrete feet mimic the pose of the iconic David sculpture by Michelangelo; but the artist Miggy Buck brings them literally down off the pedestal to stand on the ground with us.

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 7 - Cross-Section by Tim DeShong
    Cross Section by Tim DeShong

    Tim De-Shong wondered what it might look like to take a slice out of a wave, which makes this beguiling marble curl the perfect guest for our park on the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park - Phase VI

Phase VI of the Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park. The ten sculptures were selected from submissions received by a national call for entries based on their artistic merit, durability, practicality and site appropriateness. Arts Orange County provided professional services for the coordination of the artist selection and installation of the sculptures. They are scheduled to be on display in Civic Center Park for two years. 

INSTALLED JUNE 2021

The Phase VI sculptures are as follows (left to right):

  • Talking Heads by Oleg Lobykin, East Palo Alto, CA
  • Celestial Carousel by Adrian Susnea Litman, Santa Rosa, CA
  • Birdman by Steven Rieman, Yucca Valley, CA
  • Scorpion by Colin Selig, Walnut Creek, CA
  • Suncrest by Eino Romppanen, Pahrump, NV
  • Woodpeckers by Michael McLaughlin, Torrington, CT
  • The Migration of My Dreams by Marisabel Bazan, West Hollywood, CA
  • (x)ofmanychildren by Robert Visani, Brooklyn, NY
  • Finish Line by Ron Whitacre, Laguna Beach, CA
  • Leaf Spiral by Ken McCall, Boise, ID

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 6 - Oleg Lobykin - Talking Heads
    Talking Heads by Oleg Lobykin

    You might see your own reflection splash across the fluid forms of Oleg Lobykin’s grand, steel creation; it seems to obey its own gravity, bringing a touch of the otherworldly to our park.

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 6 - Celestial Carousel - Adrian Susnea Litman
    Celestial Carousel by Adrian Susnea Litman

    Adrian Susnea Litman’s work evokes the fanciful shapes we used to imagine for faraway bodies in space. When they move on the arms of this kinetic work, they become more than stars in the heavens;

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 6 - Birdman by Steven L. Rieman
    Birdman by Steven L. Rieman

    Artist Steven L. Rieman provides our park with a new piece of kinetic inspiration, a tower of eclectic form and texture topped by a pair of wings that go whirling in the wind.

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 6 - Scorpion - Colin Selig
    Scorpion by Colin Selig

    With just a few repurposed propane tanks, simplified forms, and a strong, primary color, Colin Selig gives a playful transformation to a stinging arachnid, reintroducing it to us so we have the chance to see it in

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 6 - Eino Romppanen - Suncrest
    Suncrest by Eino Romppanen

    Carved white marble is the canvas and the daylight itself is the paint – the late artist’s Suncrest invites us to rejoice in the changing colors and shadows of the day as they are reflected and channeled by the rays

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 6 - Woodpecker - Michael McLaughlin
    Woodpeckers by Michael McLaughlin

    Although real woodpeckers may be seen locally, Michael Mclaughlin’s delightful depiction of a mother and her nesting chicks, created by a combination of bronze and stone, offers an eye-level view of them.

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 6 - The Migration of My Dreams - Marisabel Bazan
    The Migration of My Dreams by Marisabel Bazan

    To walk among these splendid giant butterflies feels like the fulfillment of a dream – Marisabel Bazan has created art that invites you to be a part of the tableau, and to remember the joy nature’s colors can bring us.

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 6 - xofmanychildren by Roberto Visani
    (x)ofmanychildren by Roberto Visani

    Although austere and abstract, the two figures in Roberto Visani’s (x)ofmanychildren nevertheless suggest a powerful emotion; and although they stand back-to-back, the viewer can feel an aching distance

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 6 - Finish Line - Ron Whitacre - Photo Credit Camille Escareal-Garcia
    Finish Line by Ron Whitacre

    Feelings of triumph and exuberance are more than just skin-deep, as we discover in Ron Whitacre’s remarkable steel figure that captures both the effort and the celebration of an athlete at their moment of

  • Sculpture Exhibition Phase 6 - Leaf Spiral - Ken McCall - Photo Credit Camille Escareal-Garcia
    Leaf Spiral by Ken McCall

    The swirling, curving path of a falling leaf is evoked with grace by artist Ken McCall, giving us a taste of the autumn that we can enjoy in every season.

HISTORY OF THE SCULPTURE IN THE CIVIC CENTER PARK EXHIBITION

Newport Beach Civic Center Park - 100 Civic Center Drive, Newport Beach

In August 2013, the Newport Beach City Council authorized the City Arts Commission and City staff to implement a temporary sculpture exhibit in Civic Center Park. The City Council approved the installation of ten sculptures in Phase I of the project and additional ten sculptures in Phase II. The sculptures installed in year one were on display for two years and were removed and returned to the artists in 2016. Those installed in year two, or Phase 2, will be removed in September 2017. The ten sculptures selected for installation in September 2015 are shown in this Phase 2 Presentation.

 A grand opening celebration on September 12, 2015 marked the installation of nine new sculptures in Phase II of the Sculpture in the Civic Center Park Exhibition with the tenth sculpture, "Sunflower," to be installed in January 2016. The community was invited to view the sculptures, meet the artists and enjoy music and refreshments at the Civic Center.  Docent led tours of the Sculpture in Civic Center Park Exhibition were conducted by members of the Newport Beach Art Foundation.

MOBILE APP SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOUR OF THE PARK

For a self-guided walking tour of the Sculpture in the Civic Center Park Exhibition, download the "MyNB" app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.  Search for "MyNB."  If you already have the "MyNB" app on your mobile device, update it to include the latest additions to the Sculpture Exhibition.

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