Whittier Public Art

Public Art in Whittier

The Site:

   I chose to look at public art around Whittier. I recently moved to Whittier, but I have always lived around it and spent a lot of time there. It’s a pretty nice city in most areas and I already knew it definitely has some works of art around. Along Greenleaf Avenue in Uptown Whittier, an area I walk through very often, I can remember seeing pieces of art throughout the street. Like any other city, there’s also graffiti and more casual artworks, but I appreciate how the city of Whittier actually funds artworks to be placed around. 

Fieldwork:

This tall sculpture titled “The Garden Gate” is located at Lou Henry Hoover Park, created by Guy A. Wilson. It is a bas-relief bronze sculpture that represents two Whittier women. The left represents Harriet Strong with her four children. The right represents Florence maple Thomburgh. In between, there is a sculpture of a little girl, representing the new women welcomed into Whittier. This piece is city-commissioned and funded through the Art in Public Places ordinance.

  

Another sculpture in the heart of Uptown Whittier is “The Dress” by Kevin Box. It is made of mixed metals made to have a paper origami look. The work was inspired by the Nike of Samothrace and reminiscent of the fashion style of Audrey Hepburn. It was installed as part of the mission to incorporate widely known works to the city.

  

Across Greenleaf Avenue from the last piece is this piece titled “From the Tree”, also by Kevin Box. This is a bronze sculpture of a green leaf on a sandstone base, representative of the main street in Uptown. It's placed in a matching environment in between the buildings in front of the little grass area.

This artwork is titled “Crab Louis” made by Wayne Salge. It can be found along Greenleaf Avenue on the walkway next to Whittier Village Cinema. The whimsical bronze sculpture of a shy crab was intentionally placed at a childs eye level so that it's easily visible.

This artworks is titled “Stronger Together” by Alanna Roth. It's located outside the LA County Fire Station 28. It shows two firefighters in full gear holding the hose ready to take action. It reflects the strength, resilience, and dedication of Whittiers firefighters.

This piece titled “Mockingbird Tree with Oranges” is a stainless steel and gold leafed sculpture by Michael Warrick. it is located outside the Commons building at The Groves residential area. Its placement in the center of the community makes it a friendly greeting for community members gathering at The Commons.

This artwork titled “The Arch” by Katie Steffler and Dianna Schramm is a delicately hand-painted tile mural. It depicts Whittier’s history and notable features like the city's former orange groves, City Hall,and a horse-drawn wagon. 

Titled “Whittier Comes to Whittier” is a concrete sculpture of John Greenleaf Whittier by Christoph Rittershausen. He was a poet and political advocate which the city was named after. It was created in celebration of Whittier's 100th year as a city and unveiled at a Founders Day celebration. The artist did extensive research into Whittier's life history. The piece was almost not created but community members who appreciated Whittier's writing, advocacy, and life work fought for it to added.

Titled “Red Rascal” by Sandy Scott. This bronze sculpture of a fox pays tribute to the foxes found in the Whittier Hills. It is one of the many sculptures found along Greenleaf Avenue, next to The Cellar.

Analysis:

   One of the main reasons I appreciate all the art I have found in Whittier is because it really focuses on the area, its history, and its people. Many of the pieces represent the towns location and history of it. The artists who made those pieces put in the effort and time to do their research to accurately represent the subject. A lot of the art found in Whittier is funded through the Art in Public Places ordinance that takes commissions from the city. What I did notice lacking from the historical artworks is remembrance of indigenous people that may have also used this land.

Proposal:

   I like the placement of the art pieces along Greenleaf Avenue in Uptown. I think including actual artworks gives the town lots of character, especially the fun pieces like the crab. But while that is fun and artsy, I would like some artworks that reflect more of the current community. More Latino focused art would be more appreciated for the current climate and more representative of the city. It would also be nice to showcase art made my community members and those who have lived in and been a part of Whittier. Public art shouldn't only be for decorative purposes, but also to reflect the community and its history and future. Uptown Whittier would be a perfect spot for these new artworks. It's a nice stretch of the street where many people go to gather and shop around. Because of the movie theater, cafes, restaurants, and locally owned stores, art would draw people in and give something new for people who ar always there to appreciate.