Another Enriching Gift

The disclosure that the C.J. Segerstrom family has commissioned New York sculptor Richard Lippold to create a mammoth sculpture for the Orange County Performing Arts Center is exciting news that is stirring the community’s curiosity and appreciation.

In revealing a model of the sculpture he intends to have ready for the Center’s opening Oct. 1, 1986, Lippold said the birdlike stainless-steel-and-aluminum structure, named “Fire Bird” by Renee Segerstrom, will be 60 feet tall, 120 feet wide and 100 feet deep.

One aspect that makes Lippold’s proposed effort so dramatic is his decision to create an artwork that relates to both the interior and exterior of the building. To do that, the wings of the birdlike sculpture will be both inside and outside of the Center’s main entrance glass wall.

We look forward to Lippold’s sculpture with keen interest and anticipation. He is known for his massive, colorful works that grace public and industrial buildings throughout the world. His past work has been consistently tasteful and appropriate to its setting. And now Lippold is trying to fulfill a longtime desire to use a different approach to placing art in an architectural setting.

There are several factors connected with commissioning Lippold that should be noted.

One is the seemingly never-ending benevolence of the Segerstrom family and Henry J. Segerstrom, chairman of the Center’s fund drive. The “Fire Bird” is just the latest gift to the community from the Segerstrom family, which thus far has given more than $11 million, including land, to the $78.9-million Center.

Another is the significance of the artworks gracing the South Coast Plaza area--by foremost sculptors Isamu Noguchi, Henry Moore and, soon, Lippold--which mark the area as a center for the visual as well as performing arts.

The presence of these works enriches all our lives.