Arts Commission Considers Replacement Art for Public Piece to be Decommissioned

Pasadena’s Arts and Culture Commission is expected to decide Wednesday on a recommendation by Cultural Affairs Manager Rochelle Branch to approve replacement art for the sculptural fountain previously installed at The Terraces at Paseo Colorado, located at 375 E. Green Street in Pasadena.

The new art will replace the “Dream Stream” fountain initially commissioned in 2001 as a component of the property’s compliance with the City’s Public Art Ordinance. A report by Branch for the Commission said Dream Stream had fallen into disrepair and its conservation has been deemed feasible.

Last December, the Arts and Culture Commission approved a Decommission Plan for the artwork, and the property owner has identified a project budget of $200,000 for the replacement artwork. “Gaze,” by artist Meeson Pae Yang.

“Gaze” is a colorful, light-catching sculpture of durable refractive materials, inspired by NASA telescope images of the Orion Nebula. The artist proposed her art should be suspended from the existing trellis on the street-facing south facade of the building, such that the art would interact with sunlight, as well as architectural lighting at night, from several public vantage points.

The Commission approved the artist’s proposal about the location also in December.

The property owner has also reportedly hired Now Art LA to oversee the replacement art’s commissioning process.

Branch reports that the Cultural Affairs team has taken steps to adequately assess the proposed site’s viability, and has recommended it to maximize pubic impact, visibility and accessibility, while enhancing the development.

The artwork’s position will be directly over the entrance to the management offices at The Terraces, on the building’s south facade. The trellis will not only provide an existing support structure for the artwork, but it will also be prominently visible from several vantage points – adjacent sidewalks, streets, and the multi-level parking garage across the street.

Given the high levels of activity on Green Street especially from the Paseo Colorado and the Pasadena Convention Center, the new artwork will be prominently visible to the public, Branch said.

The Commission’s meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. the Hearing Room, 175 N. Garfield Avenue.