Help Us Choose New Public Art!
The Palm Desert City Council and the Palm Desert Cultural Arts Committee would like you to vote on Palm Desert’s next piece of public art. This piece of art will be installed in the roundabout at San Pablo and San Gorgonio which is located perpendicular to and north of Highway 111 and El Paseo. San Pablo Avenue’s mile-long corridor connects a vibrant commercial area with residential neighborhoods as well as College of the Desert, Palm Desert City Hall, and the Civic Center Park. Recent improvements to this area include landscaping, bicycle lanes, options for outdoor dining, pocket parks with interactive amenities, community gardens, and a space for a farmer’s market and other special events. Designed along a more intimate scale than El Paseo and with more opportunities for mixed-use development, this family-friendly area is intended to become Palm Desert’s city center.
The Cultural Arts Committee has narrowed the top two finalists, and now it’s up to you to help us select which sculpture to install. Voting will be open until October 31.
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ARTIST 1 – Dueling Palms by Kyle Absolom
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Artist's Statement
My current project “Dueling Palms” is rooted in the land it hopes to live on. This steel sculpture aims to honor Palm Desert and use the iconic (perhaps obvious) Palm Tree and reimagine it. It was a personal challenge to take such a recognizable symbol and make it feel new. The “Dueling Palms” are designed to quite literally cut through the noise with sharp yet smooth curves, appearing to almost bounce off of the ground. The fluorescent orange color not only sparks joy but represents the warmth and sun that is the trademark of Palm Desert.
From a distance, the palms also have a yin and yang effect mirroring the balance and dance of the nature and community around them. The flowing aesthetic also mimics an infinity symbol, representing the power and boundlessness of a city thriving in the desert against all odds. At a closer look, there are a total of ten fronds - 9 individually representing each of the cities that make up Coachella Valley. The tenth palm frond indicates the cities coming together in unity.
The design of this piece takes into consideration all of the listed requirements and precautionary measures for the community and passers-by. This is a 360-degree sculpture that still allows drivers to maintain visibility and their safety. It pays homage to the core history of Palm Desert while looking to the future. My experience working with a broad range of concepts and materials will take this project and community to the next level.
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ARTIST 2 - Sunburst by Donald Gialanella
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Sculpture Description
Sunburst is a 25 foot tall abstract stainless steel sculpture that pays homage to the Sun, a perfect symbol for what Palm Desert is all about. The piece can be interpreted to represent multiple concepts – the sunrise/sunset, a flower that opens and closes as the viewer circulates around it, or an abstract palm tree that celebrates Palm Desert’s natural beauty.
The sculpture is composed of two sections perpendicular to one another, each facing toward the roundabout’s intersecting roads. The two circular forms interact visually with one another forming a gestalt sphere as drivers negotiate the roundabout. The minimalist design allows for maximum visibility to oncoming traffic and pedestrians and does not obscure the view corridor to traffic in the circle.
Effective public work has a sense of place that creates a strong emotional and multifaceted attachment to a particular geographical or architectural space. I think of this sculpture as an integral element in capturing the place-making, way-finding, and identity formation experience in the San Pablo roundabout.
Material
The sculpture will be composed entirely of marine grade 316 stainless steel. This steel has total resistance to atmospheric corrosion and is basically impervious to weathering. It is the ideal material for this outdoor installation and has a projected lifespan of more than 50+ years. It never needs to be painted, coated, or sealed.
The stainless steel will be brushed to create an organic textual surface that will reduce the reflectivity, but remain clean and bright with a visually dynamic metallic appearance.
Artist’s Bio
Donald Gialanella is a sculptor with 25 years of experience in art, design, and public projects. He works in permanent outdoor materials – marine grade stainless steel and corten steel. Donald is known for creating more than thirty larger-than-life sculptures in public and private collections across the United States.
Donald apprenticed with the renowned artist Louise Bourgeois after graduating magna cum laude with a BFA in sculpture from the Cooper Union in New York. He was a network graphics producer at ABC-TV in New York in the 1980’s and received an Emmy for his work on Monday Night Football in 1990. He taught art at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey for two years before returning to the US and establishing Livesteel sculpture studio in 1994
