Fourth of a five-part series exploring public art sculpture in the city of Santa Clarita.

In 2009 the Santa Clarita City Council demonstrated its commitment to public art when it founded the Santa Clarita Arts Commission.
In a further vote of commitment to the arts the Santa Clarita City Council approved the Arts Master Plan in 2016 which has become the Arts Commission’s guiding document to provide arts, entertainment and cultural development throughout the city.

As part of the plan the following vision statement was issued:

“The city of Santa Clarita will be recognized as a ‘city of the arts,’ where the lives of residents, artists and visitors are enriched through artistic and cultural experiences.”

The plan mandated that public art planning and selection utilize peer review and community input to ensure that public art pieces meet the goals of providing enjoyable and attractive public spaces that reflect the character of the community.

Susan Shapiro, a member of the Arts Commission, said the implementation of an Arts Master Plan was a milestone for the commission.
“The Master Plan made it possible to show the city’s commitment to public art,” she said. “In addition, the Arts Master Plan is an important way to show support for artists in the community.”

Focusing on Sculpture

This five-part series will mostly focus on public art sculptures which reside within the city limits of Santa Clarita. Many of the sculptures are located in city parks.

Public art sculpture in Santa Clarita includes 46 installations, some include more than one sculpture piece, listed on the city of Santa Clarita Public Art Tour, of which five are temporary sculpture installations.

To see the full tour visit https://scpublicart.goodbarber.app/art-pieces/c/4.

This fourth exploration of public art sculptures in Santa Clarita includes 10 installations that starts in Newhall with a quartet of sculptures.

The Newhall art includes the last piece still on display from The Art Can Project which saw seven 55-gallon steel drums transformed into works of art and placed on the streets of Old Town Newhall in 2006.

All but “Growing Up” have been decommissioned.

Another five pieces of the Art Can Project from 2008, and placed at various city facilities have also been decommissioned.

The tour ends on a somber note at the Saugus Memorial Obelisks that honor Dominic Michael Blackwell, 14, and Gracie Anne Muehlberger, 15, who were victims of the tragic Saugus High School shooting on Nov. 14, 2019.

The obelisks were created with input from their families as a memorial that reflects the personalities of Dominic and Gracie.

To begin the fourth public art tour visit:

Growing Up

24303 Main St.,

Newhall, CA 91321

Artist: Ray Pinjanthuk

Date: 2006

Type: Sculpture

Material: Steel 55 Gallon Drum

Placement: Old Town Newhall

The Art Can Project provided selected artists with a unique “canvas” to work with. Each artist developed a piece of work responding to the theme of either “History of Santa Clarita” or “Street as Art Gallery.”

The art cans were integrated into the built environment to enhance the visual landscape along Main Street in Old Town Newhall.

Santa Clarita History Bear

24500 Main St.,

Newhall, CA 91321

Artist: Frank Rock

Date: 2017

Type: Sculpture

Material: Fiberglass

Placement: Old Town Newhall Library

One of six “art bears” that grace sites around Santa Clarita.

The California Bear Project was developed in August 2004 by the city and bears were installed from 2005 to 2018 throughout Santa Clarita.
Each life-sized replica is more than 10 feet in length and more than 5 feet tall.

Painted by artist and long-time Canyon Country resident Frank Rock, the Santa Clarita History Bear depicts many scenes from Santa Clarita history.

“I wanted to convey a sense of our local history. I wanted to cover all cultural and tangible aspects of Santa Clarita from the oil and film industry to indigenous animals and flora. Plus, I included my favorite point of interest, the St. Francis Dam,” said Rock.

Each life-sized replica is more than 10 feet in length and more than 5 feet tall. This installation was commissioned by The Canyon Theatre Guild.

Bike Book Bike Rack

24500 Main St.,

Newhall, CA 91321

Artist: Greg Mueller

Type: Sculpture

Material: Decommissoned bike frames, fabricated steel

Placement: Old Town Newhall Library

Through a juried process, Bike Book was selected as a sculpture bike rack for the entrance sidewalk to the Old Town Newhall Library.

The sculpture weaves together the concept of a library book with the functionality of a bike rack for the active biking community of Santa Clarita.

The books hold several monochromatic compositions of reclaimed bike frames destined for the dumpster. Each bike frame has a history, and the book pages provide a place for their individual stories to unfold.

Mueller Studio is a public art practice that joins the poetic craft of sculpture with the creative intervention of spaces. Both fabricated and reclaimed materials are transformed into objects and spaces imbued with a sense of hope. Mueller has held academic professorships with the Bowling Green State University School of Art in Ohio, Bloomsburg U of Pennsylvania,and the Converse U School of Arts in South Carolina.

Meet the artist, Greg Mueller in this video from SCVTV:

https://scvtv.com/2022/06/09/finding-art-old-town-newhall-library-bike-rack/#:~:text=The%20city%20of%20Santa%20Clarita,a%20book%20have%20a%20story.

Willie Johnston

24275 Walnut St.,

Newhall, CA 91321

Artist: Mark Henn

Date: 2005

Type: Sculpture

Material: Bronze

Placement: Veterans Historical Plaza in Newhall

Eleven-year-old William J. Johnston Jr. was presented the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Abraham Lincoln on Sept. 16, 1863 for gallantry in the Seven Day Battle and Peninsula Campaign during the Civil War.

This sculpture is a depiction of Johnston, who stood just five feet tall and served as a drummer in Company D, Third Vermont Volunteers Infantry of the Union Army.

Bronze Fountain

20850 Centre Pointe Parkway,

Santa Clarita, CA 91350

Artist: Bronze West Imports

Date: 2007

Material: Bronze

Placement: Santa Clarita Aquatic Center Entrance

This bronze statue fountain of children playing around a water pump has developed a nice patina over the years. The piece is placed just outside the popular Aquatic Center entrance.

Bronze West Imports is a global importer, distributor and Internet seller of thousands of styles of bronze sculptures, bronze fountains and outdoor and indoor bronze statues.

Trek Park Bike Rack – BMX Tribute

20870 Centre Pointe Parkway,

Saugus, CA 91350

Artist: Mike Burke

Date: 2023

Type: Sculpture

Material: Painted Steel

Placement: Trek Bike Park of Santa Clarita

Using an iconic gas station look as a bike rack shows our need to reduce our use of oil. Incorporated into the bike rack is a service station for minor bike repairs including a pump and tools. The rack accommodates up to 10 bikes with easy lockability.

Large BMX bars and seat serve as a beacon for the Bike Park of Santa Clarita. The art piece contains a bike rack and ADA height seat and was inspired by the early BMX racing that started in southern California. The number 23 represents the year the piece was created but also as a 50-year tribute to the first established BMX racing series in 1973.

Burke is a freelance artist living and working in the Reno/Tahoe area with a focus on functional metal sculptures. Co-founder of the Reno Bike Project, a non-profit community bike shop providing cycling advocacy, education and access to affordable bicycles. He has created numerous artistic bike racks that focus on security, as well as aesthetics and easy access for locking.

Watch artist Mike Burke install his work at the Bike Park of Santa Clarita in this video from SCVTV:

https://scvtv.com/2023/12/08/new-bike-rack-art-installed-at-trek-bike-park/

Reaching Man

26441 Bouquet Canyon Road

Saugus, CA 91350

Artist: Ron Whitacre

Date: 2021

Material: Welded Steel

Placement: Bouquet Creek Trailhead

Reaching Man is a temporary public art installation as part of the ongoing Trailhead Project and will be on display for three years.

Whitacre’s primary focus is sculpture created of welded steel. His works are noted for their balance, power, grace and sensitivity. Whitacre currently lives and works in Laguna Beach. His most recent works, including Reaching Man, are inspired by the grace and movement of dancers, acrobats, musicians and goddesses.

Meet Ron Whitacre and learn about the sculpture Reaching Man in this video from SCVTV:

https://scvtv.com/2021/08/16/finding-art-reaching-man-at-bouquet-creek/

Santa Clarita Cycling Bear

23106 Valencia Blvd.,

Valencia, CA 91355

Valencia, CA

Artist: Frank Rock

Date: 2018

Material: Fiberglass

Placement: Chuck Pontius Commuter-Rail Trail adjacent to Valencia Boulevard.

One of six “art bears” that grace sites around Santa Clarita.

The California Bear Project was developed in August 2004 by the city and bears were installed from 2005 to 2018 throughout Santa Clarita.
Each life-sized replica is more than 10 feet in length and more than 5 feet tall.

The Santa Clarita Cycling Bear was inspired by the Amgen Tour of California, a prestigious cycling event which the city has hosted a record 13 times.

Other bear sculptures on display throughout Santa Clarita include the Santa Clarita Transit Center, Valencia Heritage Park, The Patios at Valencia Town Center, Old Town Newhall Library and at Golden Valley High School.

Watch the dedication ceremony of the Santa Clarita Cycling Bear in this video from SCVTV:

https://scvtv.com/2018/05/18/santa-clarita-cycling-bear-dedication/

Western Tiger Swallowtail & Yerba Santa

27150 Bouquet Canyon Road,

Saugus, CA 91350

Artist: LT Mustardseed

Date: 2012

Material: Re-purposed Materials

Placement: Central Park

The Western Tiger Swallowtail and Yerba Santa are native to the Santa Clarita Valley.

“This site-specific piece represents the Western Tiger Swallowtail, which is frequently seen in urban parks and gardens, and is attracted to the nectar of such flowers as the California Buckeye, Zinnia, Yerba Santa and Abelia. Butterflies are mystical creatures, and in some cultures known to represent the spirits of our ancestors,” said Mustardseed.

Mustardseed has successfully created numerous public and private art commissions. When appropriate, she recycles everyday objects into bold, colorful and playful images. Nature themes are often re-occurring in her work.

Saugus Memorial Obelisks

27150 Bouquet Canyon Road,

Saugus. CA 91350

Date: 2021

Material: Mosaic Tiles

Placement: Bouquet Creek Trailhead

Large mosaic covered obelisks were created to honor Dominic Michael Blackwell and Gracie Anne Muehlberger, who were victims of the tragic Saugus High School shooting on Nov. 14, 2019.

Each obelisk is covered in 28,000 Italian mosaic glass tiles, depicting imagery personal to each child.

Residents are encouraged to visit the obelisks as a place for reflection, healing and to celebrate the lives of both Dominic and Gracie.

To watch a video of the unveiling of the Saugus Memorial Obelisks and to learn how they were created view this video from SCVTV:

https://scvtv.com/2021/08/26/memorial-obelisks-at-central-park/