Success of the Carlsbad Chamber's "Fire Up the Village" fire hydrant program has spread far and wide. It is also one of several projects that are making headlines for their contribution of aesthetically enhancing downtown Carlsbad.
A recent addition to the village is Kazi, a giraffe statue positioned in front of the Carlsbad Animal Hospital at 2739 State Street. Made to resemble the head and neck of one particular member of the San Diego Wild Animal Park’s herd, Kazi is on temporary loan from artist Claudio Derungs. Prior to its downtown appearance, the statue was exhibited at the San Diego Natural History Museum in San Diego’s Balboa Park.
Derungs said Thursday that he heard about a new campaign to bring more public art to downtown Carlsbad and decided to offer his sculpture, which stands roughly 7 feet tall when the base is included. Placed in a planter, the giraffe peers out from the palm fronds in front of the vet hospital.
“I’m happy to make it available until (the campaign) really starts to happen,” Derungs said.
Derungs said the idea for his bronze giraffe came to him while visiting the Wild Animal Park’s giraffe feeding area. He wanted to touch the animals and wasn’t allowed to, so he made a sculpture people could touch, he said.
Mikki Royce, executive director of the Carlsbad Village Business Mainstreet Association, said her association was pleased to have and accept the offer. The association is credited with starting a nonprofit organization that’s managing the Art-in-the-Village campaign.
Proposed last year, the effort involves placing some 30 sculptures, murals or other artistic items along downtown streets.
Campaign organizers hosted a vintage masquerade ball last month to raise money to install the artwork. During the ball, people were able to view the works of some 60 artists, Royce said.
Royce said she hopes the new giraffe whets people’s appetites for more public art.
“I’m hoping this will take away people’s trepidation based on hazy memories of the past of what outdoor art can be,” she said.
Carlsbad was once the center of a huge controversy involving a waterfront public art piece that was eventually ripped out. Now the city is experiencing an artistic renaissance, with many new sculptures being placed in city parks.
The downtown giraffe sculpture has a sister piece — it’s located right next to the Wild Animal Park’s giraffe feeding area, he said.
A recent addition to the village is Kazi, a giraffe statue positioned in front of the Carlsbad Animal Hospital at 2739 State Street. Made to resemble the head and neck of one particular member of the San Diego Wild Animal Park’s herd, Kazi is on temporary loan from artist Claudio Derungs. Prior to its downtown appearance, the statue was exhibited at the San Diego Natural History Museum in San Diego’s Balboa Park.
Derungs said Thursday that he heard about a new campaign to bring more public art to downtown Carlsbad and decided to offer his sculpture, which stands roughly 7 feet tall when the base is included. Placed in a planter, the giraffe peers out from the palm fronds in front of the vet hospital.
“I’m happy to make it available until (the campaign) really starts to happen,” Derungs said.
Derungs said the idea for his bronze giraffe came to him while visiting the Wild Animal Park’s giraffe feeding area. He wanted to touch the animals and wasn’t allowed to, so he made a sculpture people could touch, he said.
Mikki Royce, executive director of the Carlsbad Village Business Mainstreet Association, said her association was pleased to have and accept the offer. The association is credited with starting a nonprofit organization that’s managing the Art-in-the-Village campaign.
Proposed last year, the effort involves placing some 30 sculptures, murals or other artistic items along downtown streets.
Campaign organizers hosted a vintage masquerade ball last month to raise money to install the artwork. During the ball, people were able to view the works of some 60 artists, Royce said.
Royce said she hopes the new giraffe whets people’s appetites for more public art.
“I’m hoping this will take away people’s trepidation based on hazy memories of the past of what outdoor art can be,” she said.
Carlsbad was once the center of a huge controversy involving a waterfront public art piece that was eventually ripped out. Now the city is experiencing an artistic renaissance, with many new sculptures being placed in city parks.
The downtown giraffe sculpture has a sister piece — it’s located right next to the Wild Animal Park’s giraffe feeding area, he said.