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Three finalists present designs for Esperanza Park roundabout sculpture in Cathedral City
Summary
Three artists — Charlotte Elizabeth, Eileen Gay and CJ Wrench — presented distinct concepts for a new roundabout sculpture at Esperanza Park. The commission will solicit community feedback, schedule engineering review and return a recommendation to the City Council after public input and permitting work.
Three artists presented competing proposals to the Cathedral City Public Arts Commission on March 10 for a sculpture at the Esperanza Park roundabout, and staff outlined a process of community input and engineering review before the commission makes a recommendation to the City Council.
The presentations opened with an overview from staff explaining the selection process: a nationwide call produced 148 submissions, the commission scored applicants and paid three finalists a $1,000 stipend to develop concepts for consideration. The finalists each had time to present visuals, discuss materials and answer commissioners’ questions.
"The flower of Esperanza is a 12-foot sculptural form designed specifically for the roundabout," said Farla Elizabeth, who described a spiraling design meant to evoke rebirth and play. She noted the work was developed from a hand-made maquette and said the piece would be experienced continuously by motorists and pedestrians.
Charlotte Elizabeth and her engineering partner, Alejaz Alejazanian of RBHU, focused on constructability and safety. Alejazanian described a structural approach using tapered HSS round tubing, welded seams and engineered foundations, saying they planned for human loading and anti-climb measures. Commissioners pressed on lighting and finishes; the team said uplighting from ground-mounted puck lights and a durable, 30-year gloss paint (they referenced a protective finish) were among the options under consideration.
Eileen Gay presented a mosaic-based concept featuring colorful columns and three large butterfly sculptures. She proposed fabricating the butterfly forms in high-density EPS coated with mesh and cement and finishing the columns in tile mosaics to reflect contributions from local children: "Everything about this is mosaic," she said, and added that existing uplighting at the site might be sufficient for nighttime presence.
Artist CJ Wrench presented two distinct options — a biomorphic "Crimson Sentinel" inspired by red yucca and a more sculptural "Esperanza Rising" that uses stainless steel and dichroic materials. CJ emphasized low-maintenance materials, community-engagement programming and two viable options to fit the site and budget parameters.
Staff said the next steps are to gather commissioner feedback, present the three concepts to the neighborhood during upcoming park activations and launch an online survey to collect community preferences. Engineering and permitting were estimated to take three to four months, fabrication five to seven months, and total project delivery roughly nine to 10 months when the design and approvals are complete.
No formal action was taken at the meeting; the commission will review community feedback and engineering input before forwarding a recommendation to the City Council.
