GARDEN GROVE : Mayor Says Sculpture Is for Everyone

“Union Passage,” a larger-than-life sculpture of a man and women clasping arms and lending one another strength and support, was dedicated this week in a quiet, grass-covered corner of the Civic Center between two tall pine trees.

The 11 1/2-foot-high bronze sculpture by Guy Angelo Wilson is the second statue to be erected in the city’s Arts in Public Places program. It cost $59,000 and was financed by developer fees and took about 2 1/2 years to complete.

Wilson, 35, a Los Angeles-based artist who lives in Diamond Bar, also created the wooden statue of “The Laguna Greeter” in Laguna Beach. He said his latest work is a tribute to the richness of diversity and the strength that can be attained by “connecting” and overcoming differences.

Mayor Frank Kessler told a gathering of more than 100 that he sees the sculpture as “a visible object” in the effort to make Garden Grove a better place to live.

“Union Passage” is a sculpture for everyone in the city, Kessler said. “It represents Garden Grove’s strong community spirit and our willingness to help others and support our community.”

Councilman Bruce A. Broadwater said Wilson did “a great job.”

“This will offer a nice place to sit and meditate and get rid of your problems. We ought to do more arts in public places,” he said.

Evie Schild, a city resident of 33 years who attended the brief ceremony, called the sculpture “a great addition to the city. I think it’s wonderful. I look at it and it means strength, strength between a man and woman.”

The sculpture is located near the corner of Acacia Parkway and Euclid Street.