Arts Commission hires conservation expert to assess ‘Sunbathers’ sculpture

The Laguna Beach Arts Commission has hired a professional art conservationist to assess whether a two-part steel sculpture in Nita Carman Park should be refurbished.

The City Council voted at its July 21 meeting to have the commission report back on the condition of the sculpture, “Sunbathers” by Leonard Glasser, and suggest whether the piece can be repaired.

The hiring of Steve Colton to do the assessment is expected to cost the city $500, city Cultural Arts Manager Sian Poeschl wrote in an email.

“Sunbathers” has been restored three times since it was installed in 1983 on city-owned land below the Laguna Beach High School baseball field.

The commission will make a recommendation to the council after Colton completes his review.

Also at its meeting last week, the council gave staff the go-ahead to work on installing fitness equipment at Nita Carman Park.

Resident Carter Mudge suggested two pull-up bars, a triceps dip bar and leg-raising equipment.

“I run three days a week at the [Laguna Beach High School] track with an informal group of 12 to 15 people, and one of the things we bemoan is the lack of any facilities at the high school for pull-ups,” Mudge wrote in a letter to the city.

“Nita Carman Park is adjacent, lightly used — mostly by dog owners — and an ideal spot for these inexpensive, low-impact public amenities,” he wrote.

The project is expected to cost $10,000, including installation and materials, according to a city staff report, which added that the budget has sufficient funds to cover the work.

The Design Review Board would gain community feedback and consider the project’s design at a future meeting. If approved, the equipment could be installed by the end of the year, the staff report said.

[For the record, July 31, 2:25 p.m.: An earlier version of this post misspelled the name of Nita Carman Park.]