Luisa Loi reports from Oak Harbor for the Whidbey News-Times.
“There it is!” (Oak Harbor’s communications officer) Magi Aguilar announced, moments before a truck transporting the “Angel de la Creatividad” crossed the Deception Pass Bridge on a sunny Monday afternoon, headed toward Oak Harbor.
Aguilar’s enthusiasm attracted the attention of a tourist who was just walking by the observation deck on Pass Island. “What’s going on?” she asked.
She explained to the tourist that the truck was carrying a large sculpture by Sebastian, a Mexican sculptor whose art pieces can be found in many cities around the world, such as Mexico City, Dublin, San Antonio, Jerusalem, Berlin and more. The tourist responded enthusiastically.
The 40-foot-tall “Angel of Creativity” will now remain in the Public Works facility until its installation on Oct. 9, just in time for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. the following day, according to Aguilar.
They Said It
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will feature speakers such as Mayor Ronnie Wright, local sculptor Richard Nash and poet Mary Elizabeth Himes, who will read a poem about looking forward, Aguilar said.
Since she landed the job earlier this year, Aguilar has known that the sculpture was a “hot button topic” among the community. But after researching Sebastian, she realized receiving a sculpture made by a world-famous artist was a big deal.
To her, the sculpture symbolizes “forward thinking” and a willingness to have difficult conversations. As the city works on a video montage of different community members sharing their perspective on the sculpture, Aguilar found that many do want it.
“The sculpture is literally going to become a landmark in Oak Harbor,” Aguilar said.
