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Cerritos Council Gives Final Approval on $275K Art Piece

By Brian Hews
The Cerritos City Council has put their final stamp of approval on a new art piece that will sit inside the cities ever growing Sculpture Garden located next to city hall on Bloomfield Avenue.
At last Thursday’s city council meeting, Assistant City Manager Kathleen Jung Matsumoto told Mayor Mark Pulido and other city officials that the new art piece called “Infinity,” will carry a total price tag of approximately $275,000. Matsumoto said that the $275,000 price tag will come from a special city art fund, instead of using public tax dollars.
Kanna Vancheswaran, the Assistant City Engineer said the completed art piece weighs 1,200 pounds and measures 7’10” in height, 8’4” in width and is 15’ in length.
Cliff Garten, the artist and creator of “Infinity,” reminded city officials that he has been working on the piece for the past two years, and that the final unveiling of the work could come as early as July 4th during the city’s annual “Let Freedom Ring Ceremony.”
The project has been in the works for more than two years dating back to July 9, 2012 when the Cerritos City Council approved the concept for a “well illuminated art piece.” Matsumoto cited a “complex fabrication process” as being the main reason on why the art piece is now several months behind schedule.
Matsumoto told city council members that after the original engineering and “foundation design process” was completed, she along with Garten and city engineers determined that the piece needed to have a durable, “solid base” installed in order to “keep the art piece intact for the next 50 years.”
Matsumoto continued in her report that “it is important that the lights be strategically positioned far enough from the art piece so as to highlight the various curves of the sculpture, while creating ways to protect the lights from water, vandalism and damage and the city from potential liability and additional costs.”
According to the staff report, the uniqueness of the project will also include programmable LED light fixtures that cost $1,500 per element. Staff members did not disclose how many LED components will be installed into the twisted art piece that when completed will be served as one of the main attractions to the pristinely kept Sculpture Garden.
“When you walk into the Sculpture Garden in the future, this will become a central viewing area due to its unique qualities,” Garten said.
It is believed that the illuminated sculpture should be fully functional for the next 50 years.

  • McMahon says:

    http://hmg.theserver.me/loscerritosnews/2014/04/17/cerritos-council-gives-final-approval-on-275k-art-piece/

    Art piece is way too expensive. City is just post-recession era, said art piece depleted 75% of the Art in Public Places Spec. Account. Today, Less than $100,000 in reserves, not good accounting.

    http://cerritospublicworks.blogspot.com/

    Cerritos is 58 YO, can’t even maintain the gallery of PW photos in this above blog, nor the existing Sculpture Garden. Bi-Product of way too many (R) running pet projects here and yonder. Former Med Office suites, AKA: Home to Cerritos Museum, is falling in ageism. Disgrace!!

    FAC chose said artist because of local address. Part of the sculpture was made out of state, plus time frame for construction and delivery, far exceeded the original proposal. Poor contract law.

    Rest of the garden needs work. Existing Sculpture pieces need maintenance. Garden horticulture needs maintenance. Outdoor lighting throughout the garden is hit and miss at best, overall the garden is not a real horticulture delight nor eye candy!!!!

    Garden is way too private, for 15,000 Cerritos Homes and the 42,000 Cerritos residences to enjoy. Garden would better serve the community, if garden was relocated to the intersection: 183rd and Bloomfield, where motorist-pedestrians could view from 360 degrees.

    Personally, not happy with the composition at the Fine Arts Commission (FAC). 100% menopausal women and female staffers. Why can’t the City Council appoint more diversification? Better yet, why can’t all appointees be from personal resumes and stop the appointees by personal friends & bed fellows relationships.

    FAC: No young appointees, No Males, No blondes, No handicapped!!!!! What kind of signal is this telling the community and the Civil Rites era? Shame, with past Reagan’s Civil Right movement, now the Obama diversity programs, we are still in this limited mind frame! Tolerating this kind of non-diversity demonstrates the crappy product of our (5) councilpersons.

    Garden is not happy place: weeds everywhere, overgrown vegetation, dead this/that, pavers which are uneven and not in compliance with ADA, plus many of the outdoor lighting are breached. In the past, garden has been camp shangri-la for the homeless. Garden location is just too close to the sheriff’s station for public family security & too far from the views of CCPA.

    Summary, more Pink Elephants planted by our city out of control Republican Movement.

    • McMahon says:

      Forgot to mention. Almost 4 years ago, yesteryears CCC voted for Temporary Sculptures for this garden on loan basis. Pieces would be on loan by sculptures for specific time frame. This proposal was to go out for recruiting artists. Great idea for the public, as city would have temporary revolving art pieces on loan.

      Well nothing has happened, died. Approaching new CCC, so why absence for said project which passed by resolutions? Yet, the CCC can attend junket trips to DC, Florida, Sacramento, Trains to no where and today’s CCC, can’t even get the invitations out to prospective artist(s) to show their artwork.

      This seated CCC is one of the WORST WORST in Cerritos 58 YEARS of History. CCC cares only about advertising:

      • Whitney HS,
      • Chinese this/that,
      • Marathons,
      • Military NPO
      • and re-running after Term Limit expirations.

      http://cerritospublicworks.blogspot.com/
      Cerritos is 58 YO, can’t even maintain the gallery of PW photos in this above blog, but yet, CCC travels the nation, municipal parties for every holiday and CCC can not repair our PW.