Sacaramento has become a hub of extraordinary gifts, far beyond stocking stuffers. While there’s nothing quite like receiving something made in the City of Trees, we’re highlighting three city gifts — from sculptures to tree groves — to celebrate the season.
“Coloring Book #4” | Jeff Koons’ first permanently displayed sculpture was unveiled at the main entrance of the Golden 1 Center in 2016. The 18-ft-tall mirrored work — aka Piglet — was made in part possible thanks to Kings Chairman Vivek Ranadive, who commissioned the piece and bolstered the Art in Public Spaces project with a $4 million contribution.
Civil War Memorial Grove | In 1897, saplings donated from Civil War battlefields — including a honey locust taken from Gettysburg — were planted to create the first monument at Capitol Park. While few of the original living artifacts remain, there are three still standing: a tulip tree, a Turkey oak, and an American elm.
Ray Carrington sculptures | The Carrington Foundation for Public Art, a nonprofit dedicated to museum sculpture donations, did what they do best and donated 35 iron icons by sculptor Ray Carrington to the California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento. The tiny sculptures are made from scrap railroad materials collected from abandoned railways in Northern California and are now part of the museum’s “Bent to the Task: The Industrial Art of Ray Carrington” exhibit.
