THOUSAND OAKS : Art to Be Reviewed for Public Buildings

The Thousand Oaks City Council will review three sculptures Tuesday in a competition for artwork to anchor the entrance to the municipal library and teen and senior centers on Janss Road.

The sculptures were chosen by the Thousand Oaks Arts Commission last month after the panel examined 14 works submitted by eight artists.

The city will pay $40,000 for the artwork under a resolution that requires officials to spend 1% of the cost of a public building on art.

Officials have waited two years to select a piece of art after an abstract sculpture was rejected by the City Council. Council members said the work, titled “Spiral Paths,” resembled an Erector Set and decided to schedule another competition.

They demanded that the work commissioned more closely resemble a recognizable form, be vandal-proof and represent different generations.

Carol Williams, who manages the city’s art program, said the three pieces that will be reviewed Tuesday received the most votes when members of the public were asked to cast ballots for their favorite work.

In that poll, the most popular sculpture depicted three figures on a park bench submitted by Colorado artist Ann LaRose. Second was a bronze sculpture by Sherman Oaks artist Joan Carl, and third was a bronze by Milpitas artist Carla Moss.

Officials have placed small-scale models of the sculptures in the lobby of City Hall.