THE VERY NEAR FUTURE of the Southside was foretold at yesterday's ribbon-cutting for a new piece of sculpture that sits on the Library grounds at the corner of Country Club Road and Valentine Way.
The artwork, "Un Peublo sin Piernas pero Que Camina" by Hernan Gomez Chavez, points to better days for the next generation of Southside residents whose forebears suffered hardship and discrimination as immigrants. A group of second-graders from nearby Cesar Chavez Elementary heard the bilingual message straight from the artist.
"I made this sculpture for my family and out of love and commitment to my city," said Gomez Chavez.
Mayor Webber did the ribbon-cutting honors and pointed out that across the street, work is getting underway on the Southside Teen Center. When it opens next year, he said, children will have more resources for learning, recreation, and community.
District 3 Councilor Chris Rivera noted that this area, with the Library, Teen Center, Earth Care, and the Boys and Girls Club clustered thereabouts, will soon be the hub of the Southside.
Councilor Lee Garcia used just the right word -- "heartwarming" -- to describe the ceremony and what it represented. "This is just the beginning of opportunity and growth for local businesses and amenities," he said.
Councilor Rivera praised Arts and Culture Department Director Pauline Kanako Kamiyama for her commitment to public art in the district. Community Services Director Maria Sanchez-Tucker was also recognized for the Library team's role in the community. The Parks Division helped with the installation of the sculpture.
Arts Commissioners Raashan Ahmad and Jorge Bernal participated in the ceremony, too. "It is our pleasure, as members of the Arts Commission and the staff of the Arts and Culture Department, to identify, plan, and implement these public art projects and bring them to you," said Bernal.
The project is part of Art In Public Places (AIPP), which sets aside 2% of Capital Improvement Project budgets for the cultural vibrancy of the City.
