Sarah Guzman- Civic Engagement: Glendale
The Site
I chose to focus on Glendale when doing the civic engagement project. The reason I picked Glendale was, honestly, very shallow. I really like one of their shopping centers, and I pass by a statue whenever I go to Barnes & Noble in that shopping center. I've never really looked into it. I figured it was a way to make the area look nice, and I continued on my way. However, I could not do this project on just one statue, and so I started looking into works in the area. Which is how I came across all the other works that are in this project.
Art works
1: 526 Americana Way, Downtown Glendale, CA
Spirit of American Youth (2008) by Donald Harcourt De Lue
The 2008 piece, Spirit of American Youth, was a small, half-size casting of the original version of the 22-foot bronze figure depicting a nude American youth with arms outstretched to the sky, with an inscription on the pedestal that read, "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord." This statue was reflecting both spirituality and the price of sacrifice. It was originally created in 1951 for a memorial of the fallen D-Day soldiers, making it an iconic war memorial in one of the United States overseas cemeteries, the statue itself, symbolizes youth and hope through the figures upward gaze to convey resilience and optimism, even in the face of huge personal loss, sacrifice through the messaging of this being a warm memorial and unity across time because the 2008 casting connects generations of American youth to the ideals of freedom and peace It is seen amongst some of the community as a way of honoring the past and connecting it to the present as it embodies the nation’s gratitude and remembrance of a particularly hard part of history.
2: Glendale Metrolink Station, Cerritos Ave. and Bonito Ave.
Oak of Peace
This mosaic clock face was made in 1999 to commemorate a historical tree. The clock has a metal inscription plate that reminds all who read it of the original tree's significance. The tree was once known as The General Andres Pico Oak Tree. On January 11, 1847, a meeting was held under the General Andres Pico Oak Tree between representatives of Los Estados Unidos Mexicanos and the United States of America. It was under this tree that the two countries discussed terms for settlement. This conference ultimately led to California gaining statehood in 1850. The General Andres Pico Oak Tree has many names, including The Pico Oak, the Oak of Peace, and the Treaty Oak. The tree was officially designated a landmark in 1947 and died shortly thereafter. This landmark commemorates Hispanic Americans, war, and peace.
3: San Fernando Rd. and Harvard St., Glendale, CA
The Magic Orange Tree
4: 210 East Colorado St., Glendale, CA 91203
Glendale Peace Monument
This statue was made to commemorate the many women who were forced into a system of sexual slavery. From 1932 until 1945, there was a system called the comfort women’s system that was created by the Japanese military, where an estimated 50,000 to 400,000 women and girls from Asian countries were coerced into military-run brothels. The statue is a testament to the survivors who did not live to see justice and to remind everyone of the suffering that was caused to these women. Survivors testified to horrific violence, including for abortion and long-term physical and psychological harm. These serious violations of international laws that fall under the category of war crimes and crimes against the people as a whole are a way of advocating for the world to continue to call for true justice and reparations to remind people to never let this incident happen again or anything like it continue. The statue commemorates Asian women, and support and funding were led by the Korean American Friendship Association of Glendale, California, and the City of Glendale SISTER city Association. Many other groups also supported the peace monument being put up. The monument itself was unveiled on July 30, 2013. There was a lawsuit over the monument's removal in 2014, and on August 5, 2016, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the case, allowing the monument to remain standing. It was then moved in 2018 across from the central library due to the construction of the Armenian American Museum. A metal plate explaining the statue's symbolism and significance is engraved next to the empty chair.
Feedback
I personally love the fact that they have statues to commemorate historic events and to help continue the remembrance of horrific events. I believe that remembering the horrors of the past should never be forgotten, as history tends to repeat itself when you don’t actively try to stop it. I think the way they select art and where it goes is beautiful, and the fact that everything seems to have a story if you look hard enough or just search for its meaning.
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