Sunnyvale Library Public Art Selected

The Sunnyvale City Council has approved public art for the Lakewood branch library.

Adjacent to Lakewood Park and Lakewood Elementary in north Sunnyvale, the library will have both interior and exterior art. The council approved the art at its July 23 meeting.

Developer fees to the tune of $188,761 will fund the art, with $30,000 earmarked for the interior, $135,000 for the exterior and $23,761 left for contingencies.

The 12-member arts committee ranked each of the five proposals for both the indoor and outdoor concepts. Many council members said they were drawn to art that emphasized the purpose of the library as well as honoring what makes Sunnyvale unique.

For the interior, the council selected Rough Edge Collective, a Santa Rosa-based duo. That concept featured a child reading with a curious dragon looking on.

“An image like this is one that really inspires youth,” said Council Member Omar Din.

Mayor Larry Klein called the concept “whimsical.”

The arts committee ranked the concept second.

The council selected the committee’s top choice — Ride Art Studio — for the exterior art. Located in the forecourt, the piece is a mural of leaves, each bearing a word, painted on the ground with three large sculptures of inkwells with quills in them.

The artists intend to hold a community workshop to determine which words, in various languages spoken by locals, to feature on the leaves. Many said they liked the symbolism of the work and that it incorporated the spirit of the library as well as honoring local culture.

“I really like how it wants to incorporate our community, and our community of Sunnyvale is a very diverse community,” said Council Member Linda Sell. “Celebrating the written word is really inspiring for children.”

The Sunnyvale City Council approved both the indoor and outdoor art unanimously.

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