Public Art in Fontana, Ca.

 The Site: Fontana, California

I decided to choose the city of Fontana for this assignment because it's my neighborhood. This is the city I grew up in and I've always have had this sense of pride for my hometown. Over the years, I've seen my community grow over the course of years. The city has also become more present with public art bit by bit. Choosing Fontana has also allowed me to make a deep dive into the artworks and has given me the time to learn further more about public art in my city.

Field Work

Casey Courey-Pickering

Foothill Blvd. & Oleander Ave.

Utility Box Public Art

Owen Cholid

Sierra Ave. & Valencia Ave

Utility Box Public Art

Fontana has been holding contests for public artworks in an effort to beautify the city. These artworks placed on utility boxes throughout the city. These particular artworks stood out to me because of the way artist can contribute toward their community. I really enjoyed Casey's art piece with the space and astronaut them. I enjoyed Owens design because it's a beautiful and peaceful scene and it reminds me of my daughter. I remember growing up and seeing all of these big gray utility boxes around the city and thinking they all looked like a blank canvas. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who thought that it's even nicer to know the city of Fontana decided to treat them as blank canvases ready to be decorated. Fontana has a website that shows various artworks that have won the contest to have their art placed on these boxes. I would say it is starting to become a staple within the community. 

Fontana Heritage Mural 

Sierra Ave. & Valencia Ave. 

John Thongnoi and Enrique Vidal 

2005

This mural is 14 feet high, and 87.5 feet long painted with acrylic paint and is a cultural historical mural for the city of Fontana. This the mural starts off with A.B. Miller and the Fontana Girl which signifies the beginning of Fontana. A.B. Miller was the founder of Fontana, and the Fontana Girl symbolizes the citrus industry, which was the focus of agriculture in Fontana's beginnings. The next part of the mural shows Henry J. Kaiser. It symbolizes the shift from agriculture to industrial job growth within Fontana. The third panel shows "Incorporated in 1952" which shows when Fontana became a city and started developing a more suburban community. And the fourth panel shows the California Speedway which brings us to a more modern Fontana, and it depicts how Fontana has become a lively family-oriented city. This project was funded by the City of Fontana.

Fontana, California Lewis Public Library

Light and Space Installation

Peter Erskine

2008

In the Fontana Lewis Public Library there is a light and space installation that is made 8-foot decorative windows and in the middle of the window is a square prism that lets in light. During the afternoon when the light goes through the windows the prisms create a rainbow effect throughout all the second floor of the library. It is a solar powered art, and there are two cultural references with these windows. Kate Diamond designed the tracery screen with traditional Mexican tile motifs, and she took the idea of Islamic tracery screens from her time studying as an architecture student in Jerusalem. She wanted to incorporate a Hispanic design in the windows due to Fontana having a dominant Hispanic population.

A.B. Miller High School 

I passed by this mural almost every day. I've always thought it was a very strong and empowering mural. There is a lot happening in the mural, but I feel that the main theme is about community, diversity, working class life, and creativity. These are all elements that represent the Fontana community.

Warehouse Sculpture 

5833 Sierra Ave, Fontana, CA

This sculpture is a little different from the other artworks I've seen in Fontana. This art piece is more modern and sleeker. It gives off an industrial feel because of the metal work, and I think that is very fitting because it was built right in front of a warehouse.

Critical Analysis

A pattern that I've noticed with all the artworks within Fontana is that in some way they represent culture diversity and creativity. This may not be a huge city, but it is a city that takes pride in its community. Besides the warehouse sculpture and the school mural, the rest of the artworks were funded by the city of Fontana.

Proposal

Based on my observations, I believe Fontana should continue developing its public art program, but with a stronger focus on representing the current community. While historical murals are important, I believe there should be more opportunities for artists to create artworks that showcase the diversity, culture, and everyday lives of the people who live in the city today. One improvement would be to allow more community involvement in the creation of public art. Rather than relying mostly on city selected projects. This could include open mural spaces, community voting, or even collaborations with local schools and artists. The high school mural shows that when art reflects real people and experiences, it comes off as more meaningful and connected. I would also recommend expanding public art into more areas of the city. Even though some artworks are already placed along main streets, increasing their presence throughout the city would make art more accessible and impactful for the community.  Overall, Fontana has a good foundation in public art but by focusing more on community voices it can create artwork that better reflects the identity of the city and its people.