It's a new look for
Light Gate: The city of Manhattan Beach this week unveiled a “refresh” of the popular sculpture, located at the intersection of 14th Street and Highland Avenue between
Manhattan Beach City Hall and the
Manhattan Beach Library.
The Light Gate refresh features
the replacement of five glass panels with decorative glass that exhibit a
brilliant color shift through transmitted and reflected light. Visitors
should expect to see a vast array of colors exhibited through the
sculpture, depending on the viewing angle and lighting, according to a statement from the city.
“The Light Gate is a vital art
piece in our city and this exciting enhancement is an example of our city’s commitment to excellence in our public art,” said Mayor Nancy
Hersman in a statement.
The sculpture
originally had fused glass embedded with a film that was designed to
create a prism-like refraction when hit by sunlight. However, since the sculpture was installed, it has experienced some fading. Additionally, there have been new innovations in glass products.
After examining the options, the city collaborated with the Light Gate artists to replace the existing fused glass panels without altering the intent, integrity, or authenticity of the sculpture.
In March, at the recommendation of
the Cultural Arts Commission, the City Council approved the disbursement
of funds from the Public Arts Trust Fund to replace the glass panels on
the Light Gate sculpture utilizing dichroic glass products (preferred for architectural use in sunlight) and with a ten-year warranty.
The glass product called “Dichroic
Laminated Glass” is produced in Canada and is the result of a new
partnership between Goldray Glass, a manufacturer of architectural
decorative glass, and 3M Innovation. The collaboration resulted in a product that combined
3M’s premium-grade polymeric film with Goldray’s decorative glass
techniques.
“The city is happy to see the art piece
restored to its novel beauty while celebrating the city’s past and
inspiring future generations in the arts with such innovative
techniques,” said Mayor Hersman.
The City of Manhattan Beach will hold a re-dedication of the refreshed artwork on November 14
to observe the "
keyhole sunset" and celebrate the
occasion.
Light Gate Background
In July 2012, the city of Manhattan Beach put out a call to commission a "unique and iconic artwork" in celebration of the city's centennial year. Mags Harries and Lajos Héder of Harries and Héder
Collective were chosen as the artists to create their submission, Light Gate.
The artist’s commission for the project was $130,000, using the city’s
Public Art Trust Fund. (The Public Art Trust Fund was established through
a dedicated 1% development fee that does not impact the general fund.)
Light Gate was dedicated on
Wednesday, February 25, 2015. The art piece focuses the view through an
opening down 14th Street to the ocean. Each year on January 27 and November
14, the sunset aligns within the keyhole.
For more information about
the Light Gate, visit the Light Gate webpage.
