Days before St. Helena was set to begin installing sculptures by prominent local artist Gordon Huether across the city, a group of residents called on officials to reconsider.
One installment in particular — the massive, bright yellow “Hand of the Land” sculpture — is not what residents had in mind for their beloved Lyman Park.
“It is way out of proportion,” St. Helena residents Jan and Larry Bradley wrote in a public comment shared with the City Council at its meeting Tuesday, March 10
“It will dwarf the bandstand, and even the trees!” the Bradleys wrote. “We have a beautiful park, please don’t make it ugly.”
The comment was one of about 30 submitted by residents criticizing the art installation plan. After a 45-minute discussion, with Council member Billy Summers absent, the council voted to approve the project conditional upon a review by the Parks and Recreation Commission at its meeting Monday, March 16.
The council originally approved the plan in February, after city staff presented the project and asked council for direction. In time for the city’s 150th anniversary celebrations this year, staff rushed to work out an agreement with Huether to take on loan 13 art pieces for display along Highway 29 through 2027. The artist is loaning the pieces to the city at no cost, staff said, and the total cost of installation would not exceed $10,000.
The value of the works, which include “Hand of the Land,” “Reflections” and “Barrel Rings,” is estimated at $400,000, Huether said in a video screened at the Feb. 10 council meeting. The council expressed support for the project and asked staff to proceed.
Prior to the council’s approval of the loan agreement Tuesday, however, residents expressed concerns, especially over the aesthetic suitability of the “Hand of the Land” for Lyman Park located on Main Street. The sculpture, which consists of an 18-foot-high yellow hand holding what looks like a marble and is valued at $200,000, ignited similar debate in neighboring Napa in 2015 when a plan to install it outside Archer hotel was proposed. That plan was eventually abandoned.
Jordan Coonrad, a St. Helena resident for nearly 30 years, wrote he had witnessed many changes in town but “none as egregious” as the proposal to install the hand sculpture in Lyman Park.
“Lyman Park is defined by quintessential scenes of community and heritage — most notably the summer concerts where generations of our children have danced,” he wrote. “This ‘art work’ threatens to mar that experience for future families.”
Others, however, were more supportive. Courtney Andrain, for example, said that every piece of art is unlikely to resonate with every resident but the proposed public art project offered a “low-risk opportunity to try something new in our public spaces,” given its low cost and temporary nature.
Huether, who is based in Napa, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Other residents voiced concerns over the fiscal impact of the project. They worried that the actual expenditure for the city would exceed $10,000, given the cost of staff time, insurance and maintenance.
“My concern rests with finances and the lack of transparency and honesty in being forthcoming with the entire cost these art installations will truly cost the city of St. Helena,” resident Lisa Pelosi wrote. “It can’t come as any surprise that the community would question costs associated with this when we are constantly reminded of how little money we have in the city budget.”
City Manager Anil Comelo clarified Tuesday that project costs, inclusive of staff time, installation, insurance and a small contingency, would be closer to $20,000. This does not include costs for removal of the sculptures in 2027.
Some residents raised issue with the sidestepping of the city’s public art donation and installation policy which requires every application to be submitted to the Parks and Recreation Department and reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission at a public meeting.
“The city has a public art policy,” Stephanie Smithers, a Parks and Recreation commissioner, said in a submitted public comment in her personal capacity. “That policy is not a bureaucratic formality. It is the mechanism by which residents have a voice before decisions are made, not after.”
Officials said the city is working on a comprehensive public art policy and plan to bring before the council over the next few months. In the meantime, the agreement with Huether was being rushed to ensure the pieces were installed before the city begins its 150th anniversary celebrations, Comelo said.
On Monday, the Parks and Recreation Commission, an advisory body, may approve or reject the public art plan. If rejected, the council may consider an appeal.
You can reach Staff Writer Tarini Mehta at tarini.mehta@pressdemocrat.com.
