Lakewood eMagazine - July 2005
Photo essay:
‘Pillars of Community’ give insight into Lakewood  The dedication of the grant-financed "Pillars of Community" public artwork at the Lakewood Civic Center was the capstone of special community events celebrating the city's fiftieth anniversary. (Click on photos below to see large images.) Lakewood Online has collected photographs and background information to give residents a look at this landmark exhibit. The Pillars and accompanying information guide provide unique insight into historic city events and people.
Seeing the Pillars is worth a summer evening walk. Follow this link to a map of the Lakewood Civic Center area. The "Pillars of Community" honors the values
of the men and women who
will always be "Legends of Lakewood." Named Pillars of Community, the 11-foot-high, frosted glass and stainless steel pillars honor past community leaders. They were designed by the noted Los Angeles artist Cheri Gaulke. She is best known for her work with the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s Pasadena Gold Line “art in public places” project. (Click to see full guide about the Pillars of Community in PDF.) When their lights turned on, the glow from the three glass pillars flooded the plaza in front of city hall. The achievements of Lakewood’s founders literally shined for new generations of Lakewood residents, symbolically lighting the way to the city’s future. The S. Mark Taper Foundation provided funding for the Pillars of Community artwork, designed to put a spotlight on present and future Lakewood legends. “At the top of each pillar is an icon in glass of a Lakewood house representing," Gaulke notes, “the heart of the Lakewood community – the homes of its residents.” Wrapping around the top of each pillar, in raised metal letters, are the words “Legends of Lakewood Pillars of Community.” The three pillars were designed to be visually dynamic both in daylight and at night. Each pillar is composed of four translucent glass panels in which a different historic, black and white photograph of Lakewood is embedded. This photograph forms the backdrop for other embedded photographs – some old, some new – as well as interpretive text that identifies those being honored as Lakewood “legends.” The names of those honored will stand out on engraved glass bricks. “Bricks are a common building material,” Gaulke points out, “but these bricks are extraordinary. They are made of dichroic glass and appear jewel-like. The effect is magical. As the viewer movers past each pillar, the light falling on each brick will be reflected and refracted, causing the surface to change color continually.” Over time, additional names of Lakewood “legends” will be added to the pillars, making them a unique “civic hall of fame” of Lakewood’s community leaders.  The commissioning of a major artwork celebrating the “Legends of Lakewood” who were honored during the city’s fiftieth anniversary year was made possible by a grant from the S. Mark Taper Foundation. (Click image to see full program brochure in PDF.)
Themes and images: Founders Each pillar in the commemorative artwork is organized around a specific concept and identified in the large, bold lettering of the pillar’s thematic statement. - The Founders pillar honors the three pioneer developers of Lakewood – S. Mark Taper, Ben Weingart, and Louis Boyar – and Lakewood’s City Attorney Emeritus John S. Todd, father of the Lakewood Plan of city government.
The pillar’s thematic statement is “We remembered the future,” calling to mind how the city’s founders designed a new community that would endure and embrace the future. The Founders pillar also celebrates Lakewood as the nation’s first “contract city.”
- The Vision pillar honors the men and women who, in the early 1950s, realized their hopes for a community of homes, schools, parks, and places of worship. In seeking cityhood in 1954, they sought to protect the values and newborn traditions of Lakewood. The pillar’s thematic statement is “Our best years are ahead of us,” celebrating their spirit of optimism.
The Vision pillar includes all the members of the city’s founding generation of residents as well as Donald Rochlen (an organizer of the incorporation movement), the members of the first Lakewood City Council (Gene Nebeker, Angelo Iacoboni, George Nye, Jr., William Burns, and Robert Baker), and the leaders of the county departments whose participation in the first years of the city’s “contract plan” made Lakewood possible.
- The Community pillar honors some of the men and women associated with the founding of Lakewood’s civic institutions. Dr. Walter Montano and Jess Solter are remembered as the founders of the Lakewood Pan American Festival. Former Mayor Jacqueline Rynerson is remembered as one of the active community volunteers who worked for the incorporation of Lakewood in 1954 and who continued to be active through the decades that followed.
Text on the Community pillar will remind visitors that Lakewood is a “Tree City USA” and a “Sportstown USA.” The pillar’s thematic statement is taken from the city’s anniversary celebration: “Times change. Values don’t.”
Lakewood History Online Much additional historic detail related to the Pillars of Community is contained within the Lakewood Online history special section. City officials see the pillars experience as the centerpiece for the many school tours hosted at city hall each year. The Community pillar asks two provocative questions they hope youngsters will address: What makes someone a pillar of the community? How can an individual make a difference? To help visitors follow the themes and photographs that tell the stories of Lakewood’s “legends,” the city will publish an illustrated guide to Pillars of Community offering additional information about those who are honored. The free guides will be available from special display racks at city hall and in the lobby of The Centre at Sycamore Plaza.
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In celebration of the 50th Anniversary, CityTV Channel 31 is currently cablecasting insightful looks at Lakewood's past, present, and future in a special documentary series: "The City as New as Tomorrow." The series blends historical photography, film and video footage, and interviews with Lakewood residents. It will be available for purchase at the Club Lakewood store
