Foundry’s Mission: ‘Angels’ for World

Into a Paramount foundry goes stainless steel extracted from confiscated firearms and obsolete naval weaponry. Out come shining “Peace Angels,” foot-tall models for larger sculptures destined for war-torn capitals around the world.

Born of artist Lin Evola’s reaction to the Los Angeles riots, the sculptures are only now taking shape in stainless steel in time for an April 10 unveiling of a 7-foot-tall prototype in Santa Monica.

In the meantime, the effort has benefited from the cooperation of foundries as far away as Berkeley, making it a “California community project,” in the words of Don Tomeo, co-owner of Paramount’s Fenico Precision Castings.

Fenico normally makes products ranging from golf clubs to auto parts. But Tomeo and his wife, Sherry Hall-Tomeo, said they agreed to produce a set of angel sculptures at no charge.

“I think it’s just great to be a part of [the project],” said Hall-Tomeo.

The production line actually begins on the streets of Southern California, where law enforcement officials and activists gather confiscated and donated firearms. Shipments of naval scrap metal have also found their way into the project.

Many of these sculptures will be given as gifts--including one to President Clinton--while others will be sold to support production of angels whose dress will represent a dozen different ethnicities, project director Yoland Trevino said.

Much fund-raising remains to be done, Trevino said, but organizers plan to install one 10- to 20-foot-tall version of each sculpture in various parts of the Los Angeles area. Replicas of each ethnic version will then be shipped to selected cities worldwide. Trevino said an African-American angel statue, for example, is being prepared for Johannesburg, South Africa, and a Celtic angel will go to Belfast, North Ireland.

“I’m hoping we can talk [Evola] out of one of those [larger sculptures] for the city of Paramount,” Tomeo said.