My ongoing series, Long Beach Lost, was launched to examine buildings, spaces, and cultural happenings that have largely been erased, including the forgotten tales attached to existing places and things. This is not a preservationist series but a historical one that will help keep a record of our architectural, cultural, and spatial history.
Editor’s note: This series first appeared on Longbeachize in 2017 and 2018; some articles have been republished, updated, and/or altered.
“I absolutely loved it—but the neighbors? Not so much.”
These are the words of Long Beach Museum of Art Executive Director Ron Nelson when reflecting back on the massive, 16-foot, saturated-ROYGBIV-yellow baby sculpture from Matt Wedel that was installed into the museum on Oct. 25, 2007. Weighing some 2150 pounds, the work required assembly in pieces. Cranes. And the dedicated work of then-CSULB MFA graduate Matt Wedel…