Photo Courtesy of the City of Los Altos
"Olympic Wannabes," a sculpture by Glenna Goodacre, has been approved for inclusion in the new city park at Edith Avenue and San Antonio Road. The bronze artwork stands at 6 feet 8 inches high and is 11 feet long.
Town Crier Staff Writer
Soon visitors may glimpse five larger-than-life children in the city-owned park at the corner of Edith Avenue and San Antonio Road.
The Los Altos City Council approved the concept of bringing the sculpture, "Olympic Wannabes," to the park. This bronze artwork, 6 feet 8 inches high by 11 feet long, shows five children playing with joyful abandon.
"It's fabulous looking," said Councilman Francis La Poll at the Aug. 10 council meeting. "It will be a wonderful addition."
Cost of the sculpture, including delivery and installation, is $135,000. This "will be funded through private donations," said Joanne Byrne, staff member of the city's recreation department and staff liaison to the city's arts committee.
"This concept and arrangement is similar to the process that the Veterans Association utilized when fundraising for the sculpture 'Cradle of Liberty' located in Shop Park," Byrne said.
The artist, Glenna Goodacre, who is based in Santa Fe, N. M., is best known as the sculptor of the bronze "Vietnam Women's Memorial" in Washington, D.C., which was installed in 1993.
In 1998 Goodacre was chosen by the U.S. Mint to design a new Sacajawea dollar coin for the year 2000.
Goodacre created 15 of the sculptures, "Olympic Wannabes," one of which will be on display at the entrance to the 2000 summer Olympic games in Sydney, Australia, Byrne said in a staff report.
A local resident first brought Goodacre's work to the Los Altos Arts Committee's attention. As part of the committee's work, it administers a "sculpture on loan" program, "which brings art to our public spaces," Byrne said.
The committee had been considering including a piece of public art at the city's new park. Public art is usually loaned or donated to the city. But Goodacre was not willing to consider either of those options, Byrne said.
A specific site for the sculpture will be determined later, with input from the artist, the arts committee, parks and recreation commission and the city council, Byrne said.
La Poll asked that the park designer, Jay Beals, also be consulted for input regarding the sculpture's placement.