The Public Arts Commission invites artists to create a sculpture for the entryway roundabout in the city’s newest public space, Esperanza Park. Esperanza Park is a new 7.5 acres park featuring children’s play areas, shaded picnic spaces, fitness equipment, sports fields, basketball courts, a dog park, and connectivity to the regional CV Link, a regional multi-modal trail system. The park’s opening was the culmination of a community-driven effort, years in the making, bringing a vital recreational space to a previously underserved neighborhood, locally known as the Dream Homes community. The name Esperanza meaning “hope” in Spanish, reflects the community’s vision for this vibrant new gathering space. The public art installation will be located in the roundabout at the park’s main entrance. This past May, staff facilitated a bi-lingual discussion with residents seeking input on the neighborhood’s ideas for this public art piece. The residents shared their ideas on what they would like the piece to represent which included the themes of resilience, rising from the ashes, transformation, metamorphosis, growth, regeneration, rebirth, safety, and inviting for all children. The residents also shared some of their ideas on imagery that accompanied these themes which included children with flowers, police officer with boy and girl, butterfly with rainbow colors, rainbow after the rain, big butterfly with children underneath it/looking at it, butterfly coming out of a cocoon. Lastly, staff sent out coloring sheets to the neighboring elementary school and asked the students to share their ideas for the art piece. Samples of the student artwork is attached https://www.cathedralcity.gov/exhibits. These concepts should serve as inspiration in the development of the artistic vision for this piece rather than a limiting factor.
