Santa Monica Public Library

Santa Monica, CA, United States

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Santa Monica Public Library

Santa Monica, CA, United States

Firm

Carl Cheng

Type

Educational › Library

YEAR

2005

INSTALLATION OF PUBLIC ART BY CARL CHENG AT SANTA MONICA PUBLIC LIBRARY...A major milestone in the construction of the new Main Library at Santa Monica Boulevard and Sixth Street was recently achieved with the preliminary installation of "Underwater Canopy" by artist Carl Cheng.The site-specific artwork is located over a portion of the café space in the outdoor garden courtyard of the new library, scheduled to open in January 2006.The steel and glass structure is over 30 feet in diameter and hovers more than 11 feet above the courtyard deck.It is adjacent to landscaping and a water feature that also reflect the underwater theme.For Santa Monica artist Cheng, the "shadow canopy ... Bay."Once the project is completed, seven circular skylights mounted on the canopy will have "transparent images depicting underwater scenery as if the café is an underwater café.One small skylight shows a recent (1996) sonar map of the actual Bay topography," according toCheng.Carl Cheng was chosen as the Main Library project artist through the City of Santa Monica Arts Commission'sjuried selection process from a field of 54 California artist applicants, many of them with international reputations.Cheng has received several public art commissions throughout the United States; and he has an extensive roster of solo exhibitions and installations internationally.In 1988, he executed the "Santa Monica Art Tool: Walk on L.A.," a cast concrete and steel sculpture that is installed on the beach, north of the Santa Monica Pier.Chenghas also received numerous visual artist awards, grants, fellowships and residencies from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Getty, and the Flintridge Foundation.