Whale art has to wait

A Laguna Beach City Council vote on the ultimate location of Jon Seeman’s sculpture of a whale was put on hold at the April 1 meeting.

The council delayed a decision on the best location for the 15-foot tall sculpture, which the Arts Commission had recommended for the Third Street senior/community center site.

The council had voted at the March 4 meeting to accept the recommended art, but to find another site, rejecting Councilman Kelly Boyd’s request to tour the recommended site before making a decision.

In the interim, Boyd and Mayor Jane Egly toured the site with Seeman.

“Meeting on the site with the artist gave us a totally different concept about the art,” Boyd said.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider said she, Councilwoman Toni Iseman, Arts Commission staff liaison Sian Poeschl and City Manager Ken Frank had met to review the timeline for the Art in Public Places Project.

Pearson-Schneider said information was misinterpreted and not disseminated.

“We have accepted the art,” Pearson-Schneider said. “It’s just a matter of where it is going to go. There is no rush.”

The council sub-committee of Iseman and Pearson-Schneider will bring a proposal back to the council, possibly in November.