‘The Spirit of Life’ Sculpture Is Installed

The newest addition to the city’s acclaimed Art in Public Places program--a bronze sculpture titled “The Spirit of Life”--has been installed at Birch Street and Poplar Avenue.

The 9 1/2-foot sculpture by Palm Springs artist John Kennedy is a contemporary bronze piece that depicts a figure swinging a child.

“The Spirit of Life,” valued at about $36,000, is the 107th piece in Brea’s outdoor arts program. Under a 1975 city ordinance, private developers with commercial, industrial or residential projects valued at $500,000 or more must select and install artwork.

Kennedy’s piece will stand outside the new Arbors housing development, built by the Olson Co. in Seal Beach. Kennedy’s work is a favorite of Olson President Mark Buckland, city officials said.

Kennedy, a native of England who has worked as a photojournalist, has public art pieces in Scotland and Germany as well as several in the United States.

He said the inspiration for “The Spirit of Life” came to him while watching a mother and daughter play in a park. “I thought of the tremendous bond between a mother and child, and this explores that relationship,” Kennedy said. “It’s really about the bonding between two people.”

Kennedy said he spent about six months working on the piece, about average for one of his bronze sculptures.

Brea’s public art sculptures are now installed with extra security measures, including stronger bolting systems, after the theft of two of the most popular pieces last year. One piece “Doublecheck,” was recovered but suffered considerable damage, and the other “Golden California,” was not found.

Brochures about the Art in Public Places program and maps for a self-guided tour of the collection are available at the city’s Community Services Department at the Brea Civic & Cultural Center, 1 Civic Center Circle. Information: (714) 990-7735.