LAGUNA BEACH : City OKs Park Site for 23-Foot Artwork

The City Council has selected a spot in a county park near Aliso Pier to display a 23-foot sculpture abstractly depicting an Iranian poet who demonstrated for the emancipation of women.

In December the City Council had accepted a yearlong loan of the sculpture from local artist Ron Taybi. But the council rejected Taybi’s request to place the piece on Main Beach after residents protested that it would obstruct the ocean view.

As an alternative, the council Tuesday night unanimously agreed to ask permission from the county to place the sculpture in a small landscaped portion of a county parking lot on the inland side of Coast Highway, just across from Aliso Beach and the pier.

Phil Hofmann, the staff liaison to the Laguna Beach Arts Commission, said he would contact Robert G. Fisher, county director of Harbors, Beaches and Parks, seeking the permission.

The Arts Commission chose the spot because it is visible from the highway and doesn’t obstruct views.

Fisher said the proposal would have to be reviewed by the Harbors, Beaches and Parks Commission and ultimately would require approval from the Board of Supervisors and the California Coastal Commission.

“It is a long process for a year loan. It is a lot of work just to provide storage space,” he said.

Fisher also said he was unaware that a wood mock-up of the sculpture has been standing on the county park property for about a month. Hofmann said Taybi had erected the mock-up without seeking county permission.

Taybi said he was excited about the new proposed location for his work, titled “Tahirih,” after an Iranian poet who made a symbolic gesture for the emancipation of women 140 years ago by removing her face veil in public. She was later killed for her beliefs.