Carlsbad Arts Commission reviews three artist concepts for Veterans Memorial Park; artist to return with refined recommendation

Gordon Huether, the selected artist for the Veterans Memorial Park public-art project, presented three schematic concepts for a site on the park’s upper terrace — an arch, a ring and a set of six spires — and answered questions from commissioners, a public commenter and city staff at the Carlsbad Arts Commission meeting on May 1.

Huether, an artist based in Napa, California, told the commission he approaches projects by “ferreting out the story” and said his work for the site is intended to “honor our veterans for their sacrifice and pursuit of hope and happiness.” He described the three concepts as schematic only and said dimensions and fabrication details will be refined after a single concept is selected: the arch (approximately 14 feet tall and 40 feet long), the ring (about 16 feet high by 20 feet wide and 12 feet deep) and the spires (six vertical elements about 30 feet high with dichroic laminated safety glass panels).

The artist emphasized the concepts are “just schematic right now,” and that engineering, site preparation and cost details would be developed after the commission and staff determine which concept to advance.

The commission’s discussion focused on site lines, durability and visitor use. Commissioner George asked whether the ring concept would frame the ocean view; Huether said a site visit confirmed the ocean is visible from the proposed location and that berming and landscape work could be used to focus the view. Commissioners raised maintenance and safety questions: Commissioner George asked about graffiti and bird droppings; Huether responded that Corten (COR-TEN) steel develops a rust-like patina that is resilient and can be sanded to remove graffiti and that rain will wash bird debris without damaging the steel. On the spires, he said the laminated dichroic glass would be specified by engineering: “Think of it in terms of bulletproof glass. So if you hit it hard enough, long enough, you might be able to crack it. But since it's safety laminated, it all holds and stays together.”

A member of the public, Edward Fox, spoke in support of adding “peace poles” and described the value of peace-oriented elements used elsewhere; the Parks and Recreation Director clarified that the planned memorial plaza at the park’s lower level — with flags, acrylic panels for the six branches of service and inscribed ribbons — is a separate, more traditional veterans plaza. Kyle Lancaster, the city’s Parks and Recreation Director, told the commission the plaza’s final plans have gone through plan checks and the city expects to seek bids for the plaza construction this summer and return to council for a contract award.

Craddock, Cultural Arts staff, explained the artist selection and outreach timeline: a national call for artist qualifications was issued in August 2023, a public-arts subcommittee selected four finalists in spring 2024, and Huether was one of the finalists who subsequently presented to the commission. Huether and staff asked for public comment and online survey responses; staff said they will collect feedback from tonight’s meeting and the online survey and use it to refine a single recommended design to present to the Arts Commission in August.

The commission’s remarks repeatedly noted the distinction between the upper-terrace sculptural concept (the items Huether presented) and the lower-level traditional veterans memorial. Commissioners suggested landscape treatments (not currently part of the artist’s contract) to screen adjacent subdivisions and utility poles and to create seating and berming to make pieces more inviting and to increase seating capacity if the ring concept is selected. Huether said he would explore pushing berms up to the sculpture to make it feel as if it “is growing out of the earth.”

Staff and the artist stressed that tonight’s review was for feedback only and not a selection vote. Huether said he will return in August with a single refined recommendation for the commission to consider.

Community relevance: the project is part of the city’s Veterans Memorial Park development and will sit on the park’s upper terrace. The lower-level memorial plaza near the parking lot is on a separate track of design and construction, with Parks and Recreation staff expecting to advertise construction bids this summer and return to council for award.