Sculpture Exhibition

The Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park is an integral feature of the Newport Beach Civic Center. Civic Center Park, which turned nearly half a million square feet of undeveloped land into a new public park, was designed by renowned landscape architectural firm Peter Walker and Partners (PWP).  The City Arts Commission determined that a rotating exhibition, in which pieces are loaned for a 2-year period, was an optimal approach to bring sculpture to the City in a cost-efficient manner. In 2013, the Newport Beach City Council authorized the City Arts Commission to implement an inaugural rotational sculpture exhibit in Civic Center Park.

Admission is free and the exhibition continues to be enjoyed by residents and guests of all ages and sensibilities. The exhibition has become a “museum without walls” that offers the temporary display of public art in a unique, naturalistic setting. Moreover, the City is able to exhibit a well-balanced representation of public art, with artistic merit, durability, practicality, and site responsiveness as criteria in the selection of work. The rotational nature of the exhibit ensures that residents and guests are exposed to a variety of work.

Selected sculptures will be on loan to the City of Newport Beach for two years. Sculptors, whose artworks are chosen for installation in Civic Center Park, will receive a small honorarium. The City is responsible for installing the art, while artists are responsible for the maintenance and repair of their work. The outdoor exhibition attracts an audience of all ages, including schoolchildren, the local community, and visitors from Southern California and beyond.