Category: Arts & Architecture

Posted onArts & Architecture

Promoting Christianity on Public Property; Is it Kosher?

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Update: These two murals are about to be put on the schedule as part of the $100,000 taxpayer-funded Lemon Park Mural restoration project, so now it’s time to ask the question again…

There has been some discussion over the past few years about what to do with the aging and in some cases repeatedly defaced murals that adorn the pedestrian bridge over Lemon Street.

When I went to take some pictures recently,  a new twist on the story occurred to me, and one which the ACLU-types don’t seem to have noticed: the promotion of Christianity on public property. On the east side support an actual Catholic shrine has emerged.

An interesting situation, to say the least, and one in which any artistic statement has obviously morphed into an obviously overt religious expression. Do these murals get a pass as a cultural expression that, say, a Christmas display in front of City Hall wouldn’t?

As always we welcome your thoughts on the subject.

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Contrasts in Architecture Are Rare in Fullerton

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Last month I was walking Independence Mall in Philadelphia and admiring the history and reflecting on what it would have been like in 1776.  As I crossed Market Street to go look at the Liberty Bell I looked left and right scanning the streets.  Then something caught my eye.  The antique cityscape had something shiny and new nestled in between two pieces of historic-looking buildings.

The structure has jutting polished metal forming right angles and contrasts sharply against the backdrop of American history.  The building’s unusual placement on the historic Mall speaks volumes of its purpose, though no billboards announce what that may be.

As I circle the Mall admiring the formation of our Country, my mind and camera wander back to the building, now more striking than when I saw it just moments ago. Seeing the building on the Mall and recognizing the unusual beauty of its presence in that location has caused me to question the direction the City of Fullerton has traveled for decades.

A recent FFFF post brought to light the Redevelopment Design Review Committee’s selections of less than inspiring architecture.

I used to have the strong opinion that modern designs just would not work in our downtown.  After long debates and discussions with friends and my visit to Philadelphia I am confident that it can work well.

Entrepreneurs looking to raise the bar and make their place in Fullerton should look to innovative designs which will stand in contrast to our old and confused architecture.  More importantly, when every other building is a bar or tattoo parlor, business owners need to look at ways of setting their establishment apart from the rest of the herd.

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Should the Lemon Park Murals Be Saved?

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Neighbors around Lemon Park received a letter from the city inviting them to meetings on 5/31 and 6/28 to discuss the old Lemon Park Murals. The Public Art Committee would like feedback from the community…

1. Is there one or more mural out of the group you feel is/are absolutely essential to keep and restore?

2. Is there  one or more mural out of the group that you feel is/are absolutely essential to remove or replace?

3. Please rank the murals in order of importance to the park and the community. A number 1 would indicate the most important, 12 the least.

Come Back Again and La Adelita Fullerton Clasped Hands
Girl with Car Cross with Crown of Thorns
 
The Town I Live In and Brown Car
Virgin de Guadalupe La Mujer Latina
Zoot Suit Riots Calle Elm
Los Ninos Del Mundo

4. If we are able to produce a new mural in or around Lemon Park, what subjects/themes would you like to see depicted in the mural.

FFFF will be forwarding all comments to the Fullerton Public Art Committee, the Fullerton Museum Board and the Fullerton City Council.

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Saying Goodbye To Alan Morton

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WWII 457th Bomb Group B‐17 turret gunner

Molly McClannahan used to call Alan Morton “The Conscience of Fullerton.”

At some point back in the 1990’s, the city retained an expensive consultant to design a sign to be painted on the Union Pacific bridge (my idea) over Harbor Blvd.  Alan voluntarily designed the “Welcome to Downtown Fullerton” sign on his home computer, saving the city thousands of dollars.

Alan would constantly question city staff’s wisdom of using legal size paper for staff reports instead of letter size, which is what they use today. Staff’s answer was that they had no choice because the file cabinets were designed for legal size paper.

One of my all time favorite council meetings (I’ll have to YouTube it someday) was when Alan chucked an illegally placed Sa For Council sign during the public comments and the sign almost hit Sa en la cabesa. You go Alan!

I believe it was the great recall that really got Alan energized as an activist. From there, it was off to the races for Alan. He continuously ragged on the council to televise council meetings, and now they are. He would speak on almost every important item on the council’s agenda. His activism helped save Fullerton taxpayers millions of dollars.

Recently, at the ripe age of 86, Alan was having breakfast with three of his buddies. While chatting with one of the servers, Alan took a deep breath and that was it for our feisty old Friend. Alan gave of himself and asked for nothing in return. People like Alan Morton are Fullerton’s Future.

Click here to read Alan’s Obituary

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Posted onArts & Architecture

Design the New City Seal. Win Valuable Prizes

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Friends, howzabout about a contest?

We need a prize, of course. Some junk from the FFFF gift shop? We have some T shirts left, I think. Somebody around here stole some Bad Chi signs so I think we may be able give some of those away. Or maybe the real prize is simply contributing to the glory of our city.

Anyway, here’s the first entry. That ought to get your creative juices flowing.

Entries can be emailed to us or uploaded to Tinypic.com and linked in the comments. Good luck!

Update from Admin:

Alright, I found the perfect prize…

It’s a CD from Nancy Sanchez, an awesome jazz singer. My friend Gabriel San Roman told me about Nancy and I saw her play at Steamers in downtown Fullerton. She has a great voice and is pretty cool, too. Check out www.nancysanchezmusic.com.

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The City Seal

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A while back one of our fans suggested we’d get sued by the City for use of the City seal. (we didn’t). And that go me thinking about the seal itself. So let’s talk about it.

“Designed by artist Tom Van Sant in 1962, the figures shown in the seal are stylized depictions of the qualities important to the City of Fullerton. The orange tree refers to the City’s agricultural beginnings; the man, woman and child represent families; and the open book represents the City’s commitment to providing education and cultural opportunities to its citizens.”

Nothing says 1962 like Fullerton City Hall

It’s a real, stylized period piece, alright. Just like the building it adorns. Like it? Hate it? Don’t give a damn?

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The Great ARTIC Melt Down

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Pringle's Pipe-n-glass Dream

According to an article in today’s LA Times here, the cloudy jewel in Anaheim’s ex-mayor-for hire, Kurt Pringle’s tarnished crown, ARTIC, may not be eligible for $99 million in special Measure M funding. The money had strings attached. However those strings seem to have come loose.  And by loose I mean really loose. You see, “Project T” Measure M funds can only be used to “expand” existing stations to accommodate high-speed rail, not build new ones that don’t.

So far the OCTA has pitched over $40,000,000 bucks into this glorified bus station and at this point nobody can show that the high-speed rail choo-choos can even get to it; or that high-speed rail will ever even come to Anaheim. Of course the City of Anaheim (that isn’t paying for any of this) is now saying ARTIC is a “stand alone” facility, which is great, but it ain’t what the voters approved back in 2006: a stand alone facility doesn’t qualify for the $100,000,000 (yes, you read that right) Project T funding.

The hot light of public scrutiny is bound to have interesting environmental effects. The great ARTIC melt-down begins this morning at an OCTA Transit Committee meeting, where newly re-elected Supervisor Shawn Nelson is going to ask members to start reflecting upon their complete lack of responsibility in funding this Pringledoggle.

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