October 3, 2005

Is tradition a dying art?

Residents select finalists for public art project

By Jennifer Robertson
Staff Writer

Community members gathered recently at the Willows Senior Center to start the process of selecting the artist who will create the artwork for the new Willow Glen Library.

This sample from the artist David Ruth of Oakland. The city’s Public Art Program receives slides on an ongoing basis from artists who are interested in public art projects.

The selection is complicated, for it is not simply a matter of coming to a consensus that is based on aesthetic taste. Members of the group must also choose an artist with an understanding of a community that is changing and is yet rooted in tradition.

When the group brainstormed words and phrases that described Willow Glen, many thought of the town’s natural setting, such as its trees and orchards, while others thought of the friendly, open nature that characterizes its people. But “traditional” and “old fashioned” were recurring themes.

Several members ex-pressed their desire for a library that is cozy and feels like “home” rather than a “modern art museum.” This could be a challenge since the group must choose a living, contemporary artist whose work will become part of this new, modern building. The new library, which will be finished in 2008, will be approximately 16,000 square feet, more than three times the size of the existing library.

As members of the group debated about the type of art appropriate for the library and the town, many important issues were raised. Sellie Hunter, a junior at Willow Glen High School, recently moved to Willow Glen from Atlanta. She loves the “cute houses,” friendly people and the downtown area. She wants to see art that is “simple because the area is simple.” She doesn’t feel art that is “big city-like” is appropriate. “That’s not us,” she said. “We are very small and very concentrated.”

Although many were adamant about a more traditional artistic approach that would better represent the town, one community member asked a rather philosophical but crucial question, “Do we want to look at our community through a rearview mirror?”

Jennifer Easton, project manager from the city of San Jose’s Public Art Program, feels the art should “express values . . . that have a foot in the past as well as the present,” and that it is necessary to “have dialogue between the past, present and future.” Since art is becoming more community-based, it is important that the art helps “engage the community better with the library” and “makes a connection with the neighborhood.”

In spite of the wide range of ages and artistic tastes represented that night, one thing was apparent: Willow Glen residents are proud of their town’s quaint, old-fashioned charm and want a library that will adequately serve its community.

The next Public Art Task Force meeting, “Meet the Artist,” will occur some time in November, after which point the group will make the final selection. The meetings are open to the public and anyone can join. For more information, call Lynn Rogers at (408) 277-5144, ext. 15.