The Music Center, L.A.’s performing arts destination, today unveiled the completed Paper Airplane art installation in Grand Park. Rachel Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center, helped hoist the last of 11 airplanes into position to glide over Grand Park’s Olive Court. A public art installation that also serves as a canopy to provide much-needed shade and UV protection for the more than one million people who visit Grand Park each year, Paper Airplane creates the appearance of giant white paper airplanes soaring over the park as they curve gracefully upwards. A highly trafficked section of “The Park for Everyone,” Olive Court is located between Grand Park’s iconic fountain and the park’s Performance Lawn. Often the site for special events and activities, Olive Court is also home to weekly food truck visits.
Rachel Moore, President and CEO of The Music Center
and Lucas Rivera, Director, Grand Park hoist the final plane into place during The Music Center’s launch of “Paper Airplane”, the unveiling of a new art installation in Grand Park’s Olive Court on Tuesday, September 13, 2016, in Los Angeles, Calif. (Photo by Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)
The result of The Music Center’s design competition called A Cooler Grand Park, Paper Airplane is the concept of local artists, Elenita Torres and Dean Sherriff. Canvas Specialty, a company that provides innovative shade solutions for both semi-permanent and permanent installation in Los Angeles, designed, engineered and created the finished product.
“Today, The Music Center elevates the beauty of Grand Park with the addition of the whimsical Paper Airplane,” Moore said. “This one-of-a-kind, highly imaginative art installation is another example of the growth of public art in Los Angeles County. Paper Airplane makes Grand Park even more accessible and usable for Angelenos and is an example of public art with a purpose. We thank the Goldhirsh Foundation for helping us provide greater enjoyment for Grand Park visitors,” she added.
According to Grand Park Director Lucas Rivera, while The Music Center reviewed 59 submissions for its design competition, thousands of Angelenos named Paper Airplane as their number one choice. “We are thrilled to bring to life something that Grand Park fans have asked for, a place for shady respite, and to do so in a way that contributes to the beauty of this expansive green space. As a two-year installation, Paper Airplane is a springboard for incorporating additional pieces of public art into Grand Park,” he added.
The Music Center invited emerging and established professional Los Angeles visual artists with a minimum of three years’ experience in the field to submit designs to the competition. The final choice was made by a public vote with input from a selection committee and was based on design, artist credentials and an interview. Funds for the development and installation of the structure were provided by the Goldhirsh Foundation’s LA 2050 Grants Challenge, which sought creative and innovative solutions to shape a better Los Angeles.
Exterior detail of The Music Center’s launch of “Paper Airplane”, the unveiling of a new art installation in Grand Park’s Olive Court on Tuesday, September 13, 2016, in Los Angeles, Calif. (Photo by Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)
Elenita Torres started creating art at a young age. She was particularly attracted to newspaper and magazine advertisements for their ability to engender emotion quickly and effectively. Her passion for advertising and natural artistic talent informed her career path as an artist and art director. The owner of Mint Sauce Productions, Inc., Torres leverages her ability to see the big picture to provide the best creative solutions to any challenge. She has contributed to the marketing of a wide variety of large and small brands. Torres’ strong conceptual approach fuels her collaboration with Dean Sherriff. Together, their work ranges from architectural model-making to campaign advertisements.
Dean Sherriff comes from a family of three generations of architects and an upbringing where art and design were part of his daily life. Drawing since the age of three, Sherriff has used art as his best form of expression. As a child, he found the positive response he received to his work to be very empowering. Currently an illustrator working in the film industry, Sherriff continues to be inspired by his surroundings and can see things in their true form and substance, drawing to evoke an emotional response and show others who he is. His mastery of illustrative techniques complements Elenita Torres’ skillset, and they thrive off of each other’s creativity to find the best solution to a project.
About The Music Center The Music Center is LA’s performing arts destination and home to the world’s greatest artistic programs and events. With four iconic theaters and four renowned resident companies – Center Theatre Group, the LA Master Chorale, the LA Opera and the LA Philharmonic – and recognized for its illustrious dance programming, Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, The Music Center is a destination where audiences find inspiration in the very best of live performance, as well as nationally recognized arts education and participatory arts experiences. The Music Center also programs and manages Grand Park, a 12-acre adjacent greenspace, with year-round free programming. For more information, visit musiccenter.org Follow The Music Center on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (@MusicCenterLA).
About Grand Park A vibrant outdoor gathering place, Grand Park is a beautiful public park for the entire community in Los Angeles County. With expansive green space for gatherings large and small, Grand Park celebrates the county’s cultural vitality and is host to community events, cultural experiences, holiday celebrations, and many other activities that engage and attract visitors from all communities. The 12-acre Grand Park stretches from The Music Center on the west to City Hall on the east and is easily accessible by Metro via the Red/Purple line to the Civic Center/Grand Park station. The park was named one of American Planning Association’s 10 “Great Public Spaces” in the U.S. for 2013. Working closely with the county, The Music Center is responsible for all operations and programming for the park. For more information, visit grandparkla.org Follow Grand Park on Facebook (GrandParkLosAngeles), as well as Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (@GrandPark_LA).
