Moraga's Public Art - Beauty Very Much in the Eye of the Beholder

Ooh, we're treading on slippery ground here, we know, but a discussion on the future of the Moraga Adobe took an interesting turn early today and side-slipped into a discussion on the merits of public art in Moraga.

Now, Lamorinda Patch can string words together now and then and we have our ideas of what constitutes great art (early California plein air works, the Royal Academy masters, the Realists are favorites), but as far as actually painting or sculpting something - uh-uh, not a lick.

As we all know art brings out the critic in everyone and a few critical broadsides were hurled today at the, for lack of a better description, lawn art occupying public space outside the Moraga Library and on the hillside at the Moraga Commons (see photos).

One wag called the works "cookie-cutterish" and branded them "Costco Art," while others lined up to support the chocolate box studies of children reading and flying a kite on our public space.

A reader challenged critics of the children's statues and pointed out that the works were commissioned sculptures, done to order and commissioned to honor Russell Bruzzone - who owned much of Moraga and who saw it built in his vision - by a sculptor and foundry in Ohio.  They were later donated to the town, after some hesitation by some members of the Moraga Town Council.  Another reader maintains that similar works are readily available through Ebay and the web, and indeed a quick Google search turned up dozens of similar pieces in the lost wax style.

So there you have it.  They're up and they appear likely to stay, where do you stand on their place in the public art scene in Moraga?