Saturday, August 29th

Spheres

I got up early and raced over to MacArthur Park. I had read an article and seen publicity for a temporary art exhibit that would be happening on the lake: Spheres at MacArthur Park

The scene as I drove over the crest/elevated road was pretty beautiful:

Portraits of Hope, a nonprofit organization, is the group responsible for bringing the “Spheres” exhibit to this part of LA. I was struck by the beauty of the spheres against the backdrop of the park’s other stories. Having only been there one other time, I had almost forgotten that MacArthur Park (like many city parks) is a haven for those who have nowhere else to go, including several souls lost to drugs, mental illness or misfortune. As someone who spends a lot of time observing the world, I couldn’t help feeling both a sense of wonder at the spheres and sadness as I walked past the quiet bodies sprawled across the grassy areas. Human beauty and blight, living as neighbors, is a hallmark of big city life.

If you want to enjoy the spheres, the park is just half a mile all the way around and easy to walk on a paved trail. I recommend going soon – I understand the Spheres will only be there one more week.

In the spirit of wandering, Allison