Spiral

Concentric red circles stand in readiness at the front sidewalk entrance to the Firehouse Arts Center at 4444 Railroad Ave. Spiral is an example of form and function.  A masterful piece of art, it is a designed bicycle rack.  Blacksmith artist Jill Turman envisioned six concentric 2 ½ x ½ forged steel rings welded to a continuous 3” x ½ steel base plate. Spiral’s red rust inhibitive paint catches the eye, as do the dimensions of the artwork. Its length is 6 ft, height, 3’-3” and depth 3’ -3” and will accommodate many bicycles.  When the artwork was first installed, a bicycle was placed on the rack to encourage an understanding of its function. 

Jill Turman’s formal education unfolded at Cal-State Northridge where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Applied Fine Arts.  Yet her contact with a sculpture professor working behind the art building had lasting impact on Jill. This serendipitous meeting led to her first encounter with welding and her lifelong passion as a Blacksmith.

The Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council created a non-profit Pleasanton Cultural Arts Foundation soliciting 2.5 million dollars of public and private contributions in addition to the 10 million the Pleasanton City Council eventually authorized for the complex.

Jan Coleman-Knight