A new public art sculpture will be unveiled next week at Victory Park in Stockton by the city’s Arts Commission.
Community members are encouraged to attend the ribbon-cutting and celebration that will take place at 3:30 p.m. on May 30 at 1001 N. Pershing Ave.
City officials said the art piece will pay tribute to the former totem pole that once was located at the park.
According to the city, Hart L. Weaver, a Stockton car dealer, had bought a 46-foot wooden totem pole while in Alaska and placed it outside his car dealership.
After Weaver’s death in 1932, the pole was donated to Stockton and placed at the northeast corner of Victory Park. It was there until 1999.
The city said they held community engagement meetings dating back to 2016-17 to gather potential themes for another public art piece that would be placed where the pole once stood.
“This event is a testament to the power of collaboration between artists and the community and shows the shared commitment to enriching public spaces that define our city.”
Kris Farro, Stockton community services director
“Residents also expressed strong positive feelings about the former totem pole and desired that the new sculpture pay homage to it,” the city’s website states.
Artist James Moore designed, fabricated, and installed the large-scale sculpture through a $175,000 agreement with the arts commission and the city.
“This event is a testament to the power of collaboration between artists and the community and shows the shared commitment to enriching public spaces that define our city,” Kris Farro, community services director for the city of Stockton said in a statement. “Those who serve on the Stockton Arts Commission have been looking forward to this event, and we welcome everyone to join us for this ceremony.”
Victoria Franco is a reporter based in Stockton covering San Joaquin County for Bay City News Foundation and its nonprofit news site Local News Matters. She is a Report for America corps member.
