Coast Miwok descendant proposes 8-foot bronze dancer for downtown Tiburon

Lucina Badari, a Coast Miwok descendant, told the Tiburon commission she is proposing an 8-foot bronze statue of a Coast Miwok dancer for a prominent downtown Tiburon site, with a pedestal and plaques naming donors.

Badari said the sculpture would honor “the first nations’ legacy” in Marin County, serve as an educational tool and be a focal point visible to ferry passengers and downtown visitors. “This project will promote inclusivity and encourage a spirit of togetherness,” Badari said during a public presentation to the commission.

The proposal calls for the sculpture to be created by Will Petit of WJP Studios in Monterey. Badari showed a maquette and described the planned work as an authentic representation of Coast Miwok regalia: a grass skirt, flicker and other feathers, and a pedestal roughly two to three feet high. She said the final installation would be freestanding and that the artist would oversee the project from creation through installation.

On funding, Badari said she has raised what she described as “well over $20,000” and that $10,000 of that sum was already applied to prior work with the artist. She said the remaining budget and timeline are estimates and that she expects the sculpture could be completed within “six months, maybe to a year” once funding is secured. The exact remaining amount owed was not specified in the presentation.

Badari described consultation with local Coast Miwok community members and a recently formed Coast Miwok tribal council in Marin County. She said the tribal council members reviewed the maquette and “loved it,” and that an anthropologist who has worked in Marin County called the maquette “the most authentic” she had seen.

Commission members and audience members asked about siting, visibility, and security. Badari proposed downtown locations near the ferry and the museum and mentioned an alternative near Blackie’s Pasture. She acknowledged concerns about people climbing on the statue and said the project team will address security and siting logistics with the artist and the town.

Badari also said she and her volunteer team can pursue other placement options, including outreach to neighboring Sausalito, where she said she and a volunteer met with the mayor but had not received a response. The presenter emphasized community involvement, saying the project team welcomes public input on location and design details.

Lynn Robinson, introduced by Badari as a volunteer and supporter, spoke in favor of the project and described local arts-council–funded projects she had participated in that aimed to promote diversity and equity. A commission member who identified the panel’s purview as heritage and art said the commission supports preserving Tiburon Peninsula heritage and that the proposal aligns with their interests.

Badari closed by showing a family basket and historical photos she said are part of her family’s archives and by offering to provide additional research sources and contacts. No formal action or vote by the commission was recorded during the presentation.

The project proponents requested the commission and town staff consider siting, permitting and next steps for fundraising and community consultation. Badari said brochures and documentation of the proposal are available and that she will continue fundraising and outreach.