Discover the inspirations behind 60 years of public art at The Beach
In 1965, Cal State Long Beach, then called California State College at Long Beach, was just 16 years old. The campus was young, bustling, but still under construction. It was spacious and largely art-free, except for one sculpture on the side of a building created and installed in 1964.
Then came the California International Sculpture Symposium during the summer of 1965. The symposium had a huge impact initiating public art on campus, bringing together world-famous sculptors and some not as well known. The result was eight officially sanctioned sculptures, one mural and one unofficial work created by students.
The symposium – inspired by others like it that had occurred across the world – was the brainchild of CSULB architecture professor Kenn Glenn, who wanted to turn his dream into a reality. With the blessing and help from then-President Carl W. McIntosh and renowned campus architect and planner Edward Killingsworth, the symposium brought great talents and sculptures to campus in an event that was covered by television and regional and national media, including the New York Times and Fortune, Art in America and Sunset magazines.
The symposium left a legacy, particularly many works of public art that are viewable to this day.
“To me, one of the most pleasant things about this campus is its beautiful public art, and one of the challenges is to get people to pay attention to the richness of what’s on campus,” said Brett Mizelle, an American studies and history professor at The Beach, who gives walking tours of the public art on campus.
As we continue to celebrate The Beach's rich history while we mark our 75th year, here’s a look at 12 public artworks at CSULB, plus some fun facts that perhaps you didn’t know.
‘Hollow Men’ by Tenold Peterson
“Hollow Men” was created in 1964 by Peterson, who was born in Laguna Beach but now lives in Oregon. It is the first public artwork on campus, and still graces the wall outside Lecture Hall 151. It’s a pretty abstract depiction of human and animal figures, framed by what could be arms, wings or shields.
‘Mu-464’ by Kengiro Azuma
This monumental sculpture by Azuma, a Japanese artist living in Milan, Italy, at the time of its creation (1965), stands over 10 feet. It has been moved several times, from a lawn south of the Student Health Center, to the courtyard in front of the University Library, to its present location, at the western entrance to campus, near the corner of Bellflower Boulevard and Beach Drive. It was crafted during the California International Sculpture Symposium.
Etched into the surface of the bronze sculpture is the phrase “mu mu” – the kanji character for “mu,” followed by a symbol indicating repetition. It’s supposed to be a Zen-inspired phrase that implies a “kind of calmness or silence,” according to Azuma.
‘Homage to Sam Rodia’ by Joop Beljon
Also created during the 1965 Sculpture Symposium, “Homage” is the instantly recognizable array of white concrete sculptures at the corner of 7th Street and East Campus Drive. “Homage” is a tribute to Sam, or Simon, Rodia, the creator of the iconic Watts Towers in South Central L.A., who died just a few months before Dutch artist Beljon arrived in Long Beach.
“Homage” consists of 19 concrete components, the tallest exceeding 26 feet high. Each is named after a person Beljon knew. The collection of sculptures was initially intended to block the view from 7th Street of the large parking lot full of cars.
Carlson/Bloc Tower by André Bloc
It’s hard to miss, as it stands in the middle of campus, at the top of the “steps,” aka the “Friendship Walk.” The Carlson/Bloc Tower, named after respected Algerian-French architect André Bloc and donor Louise Carlson, stands at 65 feet tall and is made of 157 tons of concrete. It was started in 1965, but because of a budget shortfall, wasn’t completed until 1972.
Bloc is best known for his “habitables,” or “sculpture dwellings,” and you can actually walk inside the hollow tower. There are speakers at the top of the tower and a carillon bell system, which can be operated via keyboard inside the Music Building.
‘Sun Forces’ by Rita Letendre
This 22-by-21-foot mural, created during the International Sculpture Symposium but not an actual sculpture, graces the connecting wall between Faculty Offices 3 and Liberal Arts 5. Underneath is a busy walkway, and Quebec-born Letendre wanted to “wake people up” with her vibrant black, yellow and green work.
“Sun Forces” is notable because it consists of an epoxy-resin-based paint created by the Flex Coat corporation. The material was originally used in aviation and in space travel for its adhesion and resistance to the elements. Letendre personally did conservation work on the mural in 1972, and left instructions on how to preserve and restore it in the future.
‘Vietnam 1975’ by Tom Van Sant
The Vietnam War, which officially ended in 1975, was still fresh in people’s minds when artist Tom Van Sant built “Vietnam 1975.” Located on the Upper Quad, the sculpture consists of a concrete base, a shaped bush surrounding a brass dove, and two swaths of metal that had been punctured and scarred by exploding shells during practice maneuvers at China Lake Naval Missile Range. Today, the concrete base is a popular resting spot for students.
‘Hardfact’ by Kosso Eloul
This monumental sculpture was partially dug into the hillside on the east side of Upper Campus, next to the Molecular & Life Sciences Center. Kosso Eloul was born in Russia and settled in Toronto. He was one of the original participants in the 1965 California International Sculpture Symposium.
For “Hardfact,” Eloul received assistance from North American Aviation in Downey, then a leader in space technology. The company provided a subsidy and the services of Leo Gatzek, a space research scientist who helped develop technology to create sheets of stainless steel with anchor bolts perfectly welded to achieve Eloul’s goals.
‘Huipil Mosaic’ by Millard Sheets
It’s located right outside the Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum, in the public study lounge of the Horn Center. “Huipil Mosaic” (1975-77) is a beautiful, Byzantine-style glass tile work designed by Millard Sheets, a leader of the California Scene painting movement. Sheets originally created it for a space behind the teller desk at Home Savings of America Bank in Lakewood. Ultimately, Farmers & Merchants Bank donated it to the Kleefeld Museum in 2020.
The 14-by-11-foot mosaic depicts birds and designs that are typical of the Huipil people, who are indigenous to Mesoamerica, including Guatemala, Mexico, and other regions.
‘U as a Set’ by Claire Falkenstein
Made from 6,000 pounds of bent and welded copper tubes and piping, “U as a Set” sits in a fountain outside the McIntosh Humanities Building. It was also built for the 1965 International Sculpture Symposium. Falkenstein, who was born in Coos Bay, Oregon, grew up in a natural, coastal environment that would find its way into her abstract, organic forms. She was invited to participate in the symposium after Italian sculptor Leonardi Leoncillo was injured in a car accident and couldn’t attend.
“U as a Set” consists of several twisting, stylized versions of the letter “U.”
‘Now’ by Piotr Kowalski
Located in the center of campus, right outside the University Student Union, “Now” is hard to miss. Another commission from the International Sculpture Symposium, this stainless steel sculpture is made of five thick sheets that were blasted and transformed in underwater explosions in the ocean and at the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in Orange County.
A French artist of Polish origin, Kowalski’s works can be found in Paris, Tokyo and Austria. His works are in the permanent collections of the Pompidou Centre in Paris, and the National Gallery of Australia.
‘Window Wall for Cal State Long Beach’ by Robert Irwin
“Window Wall” started as a temporary installation for a 1975 Museum Studies class exhibition. But the response was so positive that Robert Irwin, a nationally respected contemporary and conceptual artist, gave permission for its reconstruction in permanent materials in 1976.
It’s only fitting that Irwin, who was born in Long Beach, would have a permanent work on the CSULB campus. It’s located right by the School of Art, overlooking the Upper Quad.
‘Dreams of the Beach’ by Ledania
This most recent public artwork at The Beach is a colorful mural on the east and south-facing walls of the Academic Services Building, where the College of the Arts’ administrative offices are located. “Dreams of the Beach” is by Colombian artist Ledania, who is known for her bright, inspirational murals featuring animals, human figures and subjects from nature, as well as mythological and historical symbols.
Ledania worked on the mural during the summer of 2024, as she was working on another mural in Long Beach. The CSULB mural – a collaboration between COTA and Beach Building Services – includes starfish, birds, flowers, tree branches, faces and shells.
