Sculpture

Sculptor Andrew Myers has told the city that the changes made to his submission in the Brooks Street art competition are unacceptable and he is withdrawing his winning entry. The city was waiting for Myers' written withdrawal before taking further action on its obligation to provide a piece of public art for its Brooks Street access renovation or pay into the art-in-lieu fund. The letter arrived Thursday morning. "To do anything different from the council's previous action would take subsequent council action," Assistant City Manager John Pietig said.

Laguna Beach will soon have a unique 9/11 memorial. The City Council on Tuesday approved the installation in Heisler Park of a sculpture incorporating two metal beams salvaged from World Trade Center debris. "Semper Mement," by Jorg Dubin, also references the two other sites inextricably linked to the twin towers: the Pentagon and the Pennsylvania field where Flight 93 crashed. "Having the beams in my studio, it was hard to imagine where they were 10 years ago," Dubin said.

More than 1,000 pounds of clay is being tossed across a Costa Mesa artist's studio against a wooden amalgamation of nails and wire, eventually taking the shape of a woman's figure. Alrik Yuill, 33, is busy sculpting his latest piece, "In Bloom: The Girl and the Music. " On Saturday, the Costa Mesa native and Laguna College of Art + Design graduate will be showing the "in progress" state of his piece at his studio on Placentia Avenue. Much like his work, Yuill stands out. His denim jacket is spray painted with the words "space" and "time" on the back.

Laguna Beach’s oldest public sculpture — and one of the community’s favorites — has been restored. Ruth Peabody’s 1933 “Boy and Dog” sculpture, at Jahraus Park and believed to be the oldest public artwork in the city, will be rededicated by Mayor Kelly Boyd at 5 p.m. Thursday after a three-month renovation project. A reception following the rededication will be during the Artwalk at the Marion Meyer Contemporary Art gallery, 354 N. Coast Highway.

The City Council on Tuesday approved a compromise between an artist’s vision for a sculpture to honor a local surfing Mecca and the community’s point of view. Andrew Myers’ sculpture, which was recommended by the Arts Commission for installation in the center of the viewing platform above Brooks Street Beach, was relocated, reoriented and restricted to a bronze finish, as proposed by Councilman Kelly Boyd. “This doesn’t sound like a compromise to me,” Myers said.

A life-sized sculpture of a sea lion was dedicated Feb. 7 at Crescent Bay Park, a tad after its “ Buddy ” flippered his way back into the ocean that lapped at the beach below, symbolizing Laguna’s defining characteristics — reverence for art and for the environment. The release of the healthy, young seal, named Buddy by his saviors at the Marine Mammal Center, was a prelude to the celebration of the installation of two Terry Thornsley bronzes in the park, which kicked off the 10th anniversary of the First Thursdays Art Walk.

A Laguna Beach City Council vote on the ultimate location of Jon Seeman’s sculpture of a whale was put on hold at the April 1 meeting. The council delayed a decision on the best location for the 15-foot tall sculpture, which the Arts Commission had recommended for the Third Street senior/community center site. The council had voted at the March 4 meeting to accept the recommended art, but to find another site, rejecting Councilman Kelly Boyd’s request to tour the recommended site before making a decision.

The Townley Gallery reported a sculpture was stolen Friday evening, and the gallery's owner believes it could be connected to other art thefts in the area. According to police and the gallery, a man walked into the gallery at 570 S. Coast Hwy. around 7 p.m. and grabbed a sculpture when owner Shane Townley had his back to him. Townley said he was giving a couple directions to a nearby restaurant when the man slipped in without his knowledge and then left with the artwork. The stolen glass sculpture by artist Patrick Blythe is valued at $2,000.

The 9/11 memorial sculpture in Heisler Park has been vandalized. Artist Jorg Dubin discovered the damage to " Semper Memento " on March 9 when he went to polish the sphere that sits in the middle of the sculpture, according to police. Dubin reported three small dents in the sphere and some surface scratches. "The dents appear to have been made with a pointed metal object with some force as the metal surface is also gouged at the point of impact," Dubin said in his report.

Mike Swanson The 6-foot orange ceramic fish sculpture placed in front of the Bank of America on Ocean Avenue in May by the Community Art Project was destroyed sometime late Saturday or early Sunday. Municipal Services workers discovered the fish sculpture's gutted remains next to its former pedestal and the Styrofoam used to fill it littering the alley at about 7:30 a.m. Sunday. The Community Art Project is offering an undisclosed cash reward to anyone with information about who destroyed the sculpture.

When Gifford Myers was 10 years old, he built a functioning car out of plywood, canvas, fiberglass, wheels and an engine. The following year, he pieced together an engineless single-seater, which was then entered in the National Soapbox Derby. "I came third out of three," he said. "But it didn't bother me that I didn't win - the joy was in making it. " Once bitten by the sculpting bug, no project seemed too big to tackle. In the years since, Myers moved on to photography, architecture and painting.

Christmas might be still a few weeks away, but Laguna Beach artist Randy Morgan got his present last week. After three years of not knowing if he would ever be able to complete his work, Morgan unveiled his latest piece that tells the story of Laguna's waterman culture. "As an artist, these kinds of things happen once in a lifetime," said Morgan, 62. Morgan was feted on Nov. 29 at the unveiling of his latest work, "Waterman's Wall," a 40-foot-wide, 12-foot-tall bronze sculptured mural.

Laguna artist Nick Hernandez, who has sculpted several replicas of noteworthy figures such as Chelsea Clinton, is tapping politics for his latest inspiration - a sculpture of President Barack Obama. "[Artists] have a rather prominent voice in Laguna Beach," Hernandez said last week while working on the Obama sculpture at the Democrats' local headquarters. "When I do work, it's not about the amount of money. I think about making history. I think we're going to produce a great piece here.

Art is a component of the Broadway Street improvements designed to beautify the portal that connects the city to the canyon. The $700,000 project includes renovated sidewalks, landscaping and irrigation, and is partially funded by a $480,000 grant. Sculptures by Cheryl Ekstrom and Marsh Scott will beautify it, if the City Council approves the Arts Commission's recommendations at the July 17 meeting. "This is the first time I have ever won," Ekstrom said. "I felt like Susan Lucci.

The new curator of education at Laguna Art Museum will start her job on July 9, officials announced this week. Marinta Skupin, a native South African, will join the museum's staff after spending four years as director of education at the San Diego History Center. LAM has hired her to boost its educational programming and engage with the community by building relationships with K-12 schools and other groups offering children's after-school or enrichment programs. "Like Ed Fosmire, our recently appointed deputy director, Marinta is a tremendous addition to the museum team," Executive Director Malcolm Warner said in a prepared statement.

The mother of the late Steven Harmon has about two more months to raise the funds to repair the sculpture he created and donated to the city. "Cathexis" was removed from the entrance to Riddle Field when city officials determined it posed a danger to the public. It now sits in the Laguna Canyon studio waiting to be repaired - if Alice Harmon can raise $8,000 for repairs by June 27. "The sculpture has to be sandblasted, the damaged panels repaired, dipped in acid, galvanized and painted," Alice Harmon said.

Guidelines have been approved for multiple works of art designed to create a gateway to the city. Funding would come from a federal transportation grant. The City Council approved the guidelines recommended by the Arts Commission for a competition that includes a sculpture, an artist-designed handrail and seating. Guidelines and application forms are available on the city's website at http://www.lagunabeachcity.net . "Artists from [surrounding] counties are eligible to submit applications," said Sian Poeschl, city cultural arts manager.

The 9/11 memorial sculpture in Heisler Park has been vandalized. Artist Jorg Dubin discovered the damage to " Semper Memento " on March 9 when he went to polish the sphere that sits in the middle of the sculpture, according to police. Dubin reported three small dents in the sphere and some surface scratches. "The dents appear to have been made with a pointed metal object with some force as the metal surface is also gouged at the point of impact," Dubin said in his report.

Art Walk Join member galleries from 6 to 9 p.m. the first Thursday of each month for a festive cultural evening. The next Art Walk is Thursday. Asterisk [*] denotes the participating galleries. Dedicated shuttle service starts at 6:15 p.m. from the Laguna Art Museum at North Coast Highway and Cliff Drive, and Bluebird Center, 1590 S. Coast Hwy. Shuttles run until 8:45 p.m. First Thursdays Art Walk is funded by member galleries, lodging establishments and the city. For more information, call (949)