Sculpture

Laura Sturza MAGNOLIA PARK -- Strength and grace are elements that renowned Los Angeles artist Wayne Healy said he sought to feature in the untitled sculpture that he designed for the Buena Vista Branch Library and Abraham Lincoln Park. The 13.5-foot-tall stainless steel figure is scheduled to be installed in approximately six months at a cost of $45,000, and it was unanimously approved by the Burbank City Council on Nov. 13. The abstract figure is of a youth with upraised hands, holding an open book containing a glass composite, capable of transmitting light.

BURBANK -- The Chandler Bikeway in Burbank is a place of constant action -- people running, walking, and riding bikes. A bronze sculpture might seem out of place in the midst of all the activity, but the piece of art that Burbank city officials unveiled on Friday morning fits right in. "My favorite part is the wagon," said 8-year-old Aaron Sowell, who stood nearly eye-to-eye with the two bronze children pushing a small wagon. Created by Florida artist Stanley Proctor, the sculpture captures the two children and their two dogs, one of which has been placed in the wagon and is being carted along.

A brass chandelier, a dented traffic cone and a metal traffic sign have been given new leases on life at the Glendale Community College Art Gallery. The items have been incorporated into three art pieces on display in the "Summer Show" featuring artists Carlos Mollura and Chris Nichols. The show opened with a reception on Saturday and continues through Aug. 10. For the show, Mollura, who was born in Argentina and is based in Los Angeles, created a 25-feet-tall tricolored, PVC film sculpture inspired by Neapolitan ice cream.

Family members of Bob Hope unveiled a bronze relief sculpture Tuesday at the airport that bears his name. Siblings Linda and Kelly Hope, along with Don Wiegand, the St. Louis-based sculptor who created the bas relief, uncovered the 425-pound sculpture to celebrate the life of comedian Bob Hope. Because her father traveled the world, Linda Hope said it was fitting to display his likeness at the entrance of his namesake airport. Still, his son, Kelly Hope, said the size and scale of the sculpture would likely have made his father pause.

NEW FIREFIGHTERS CONTRACT The City Council approved a one-year deal with Burbank Fire Fighters Local 778. The city and firefighters reached a new agreement that calls for a 4% salary increase. Additional half-percent raise will be give for paramedic, assessment medic and urban search and rescue assignments. WHAT IT MEANS The cost to the city for the raises will be $600,710. Councilwoman Stacey Murphy was not present at the meeting. Vote 4-0 BIKEWAY SCULPTURE APPROVED The council approved an Arts in Public Places sculpture be placed along the Chandler Bikeway at Keystone Street and Chandler Boulevard.

world of show business, SEE SHOW BIZ, PAGE A9. Laura Sturza Like the behind-the-scenes workers in the film and television industry, local artisans who craft the Screen Actors Guild Awards' trophies help create a product that will be shown to viewers worldwide. "Nobody knows how hard the people behind the scenes work to make things happen," said Ken Hanke, who made the original mold for the statuettes that have been crafted by Burbank's American Fine Arts Foundry since 1995.

Molly Shore After Sept. 11, Burbank artist Denise Bankuti said she found a way to honor the Burbank Fire Department for its devotion to the city and its people. Her "thank you" is a mixed-media wall sculpture titled "We Will Never Forget," depicting events that occurred during and after Sept. 11. She is dedicating the sculpture to the city's fire department. "It's the rubble, it's anthrax, it's anything that you can think of that happened in those first few weeks," Bankuti, 51, said of her artwork.

Mark R. Madler Making a pretend pizza can be messy, even when using recycled products. With their hands covered in red paint, Alex Lambert and Neil Dekovich, fourth-graders at Emerson Elementary School, worked on a pizza slice sculpture Friday as part of the school's Art Day. The materials the pair and their classmates used were recyclable materials such as aluminum cans and cardboard. "We're all excited because it's one of the biggest art days of the year," said Alex, 9. Neil, also 9, said the project was a challenge because of the limited materials.

Here are a few of the issues the council will consider Tuesday night. PUBLIC ARTWORK The council will consider a resolution to approve the design and installation of two sculptures to be placed at the Burbank Water and Power facility. A stone sculpture with fountain, titled "Community," will cost $294,144. A stainless steel sculpture titled "Water and Light" will cost $50,000. Both sculptures would be paid for from the Burbank Water and Power budget.

Instructors at the Burbank Creative Arts Center are debunking the myth that "those who can't do, teach." Ten ceramics teachers will display their works at an opening at the Creative Arts Center Gallery on Friday. Longtime ceramic instructor Judy Springborn's love of sculpture began while she was enrolled as an art history major during the 1960s at UCLA. "One of the requirements was to take a ceramics class, so I took a class and loved it," Springborn said. After college, she got married and started raising a family.

A $450,000 proposal to populate Lincoln Park with three sculptures was rejected by the City Council this week as being too expensive, sending city officials back to drawing board. “I think $450,000 is way too much money,” Mayor Dave Golonski said on Tuesday. He said he'd be more interested in a figure that was half that amount. Golonski was joined by Councilmen David Gordon and Gary Bric in rejecting the proposed sculpture garden, which would have been paid for by tapping a fund that developers pay into as part of a public art fee for new projects in the city.

Family members of Bob Hope unveiled a bronze relief sculpture Tuesday at the airport that bears his name. Siblings Linda and Kelly Hope, along with Don Wiegand, the St. Louis-based sculptor who created the bas relief, uncovered the 425-pound sculpture to celebrate the life of comedian Bob Hope. Because her father traveled the world, Linda Hope said it was fitting to display his likeness at the entrance of his namesake airport. Still, his son, Kelly Hope, said the size and scale of the sculpture would likely have made his father pause.

It?s not every day that most of us visit a deceased loved one, but the fact that Forest Lawn Glendale has created a destination around that experience is quite intriguing. Equipped with replica statue of David, a labyrinth, America?s largest painting and many more ?attractions,? it is what I?ve always considered the Disneyland of Death, so it is fitting that Michael Jackson will be buried in this Forest Lawn on Thursday. Forest Lawn, as a cultural artifact, has an interesting history; of a visionary man seeing his wildest dream come to life.

An exhibition of historical coins, bronze and marble sculptures and paintings has just opened at the Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale. The unifying element of these American and European artists’ works is that this eclectic mix is part of the Forest Lawn permanent collection, said Joan Adan, exhibit designer and curator. “It’s showcasing Forest Lawn’s fine art in its paintings, sculpture, and ancient and world coins,” she said. James Eaton, father of Forest Lawn founder Hubert Eaton, collected the items, Adan said.

Shoppers in the market for one-of-a-kind, handmade artwork, and families looking for daytime entertainment could satisfy both desires at the Burbank Fine Arts Festival next weekend. The two-day, open-air marketplace on June 21 and 22 will feature more than 100 artists showing their works, which will range from sculpture, photography and oil paintings to handicrafts like jewelry and accessories along San Fernando Boulevard from Magnolia Boulevard to Olive Avenue in Downtown Burbank.

The human figure is a common theme in the work of two area artists who will be participating in the 83rd Annual Exhibition of the Pasadena Society of Artists at Brand Galleries. The show, which opens today, will feature about 60 pieces of artwork from different artists including Victor Picou, of Burbank, and Norik Dilanchyan, of Glendale. The feminine figure is prominent in Picou’s work. His 300-pound carved limestone sculpture is making its debut at the gallery. The sculpture is of two abstract blossoms with a female figure emerging in the middle.

A brass chandelier, a dented traffic cone and a metal traffic sign have been given new leases on life at the Glendale Community College Art Gallery. The items have been incorporated into three art pieces on display in the "Summer Show" featuring artists Carlos Mollura and Chris Nichols. The show opened with a reception on Saturday and continues through Aug. 10. For the show, Mollura, who was born in Argentina and is based in Los Angeles, created a 25-feet-tall tricolored, PVC film sculpture inspired by Neapolitan ice cream.

CITY HALL — A second piece of public art is headed for the Chandler Bikeway after receiving the full support of the City Council. The art piece, called "Family Outing," was created by Utah-based artist Gary Lee Price and depicts three bronze figures riding bicycles. A young child, with training wheels on his bike, leads the trio, followed by father and his daughter. The piece is about 11 feet long, 7 feet wide and 5 feet in height, Parks Recreation and Community Services Department Director Eric Hansen said.

Sculptor Karen Cope is igniting a revival of techniques made famous by the old masters in her new Glendale studio. Her own renaissance began after the 29-year-old Glendale artist graduated in 1999 from Cal State Long Beach, where she majored in 3-D art media. Her class work in woodworking and drawing had been more abstract and conceptual, she said, which didn't train her to realistically capture the human figure. "It didn't give me the technique and accuracy I wanted to strive for," she said.