Overcoming Adversity - San Jose, CA
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 37° 20.374 W 121° 53.247
10S E 598550 N 4133123
This sculpture is one of 16 works in the 2005 Parade of Floats project in downtown San Jose, CA.
Waymark Code: WMEBQ0
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 05/03/2012
Views: 1
This sculpture, along with 15 others, line Fifth Street in front of and behind San Jose's beautiful City Hall. See the map here (
visit link)
This work, entitled "Overcoming Adversity" which also doubles as a bench, is set on a four wheeled cart (although the wheels are only half represented). The cart carries a column with criss-crossing white tile rising to tiles that have what appear to be representations of grapes and lettuce on them. Above that a black band and another band of white and gold tiles. At the tope is a red sculpture that may represent two silhouetted birds intersecting each other.
The City's website (
visit link) informs us:
"Parade of Floats
As part of the development of the new San José City Hall, the City's Public Art Program commissioned artist Andrew Leicester to design artwork to be located on North and South 5th Street that would create gateways and orienting elements for the City Hall.
Parade of Floats is a procession of 16 sculptural “floats” recalling parades that exist in cultures throughout the world, and which are an expression of a community coming together in celebration. In Santa Clara Valley, parades traditionally involved community groups, clubs, fraternities, businesses and civic bodies in decorating floats for these processions. Keeping with this tradition, the community was asked to contribute to the identity, vitality, and diversity of the project by submitting descriptions of float ideas. A panel of local artists, historians, and community leaders selected the 16 final themes from over 250 submitted ideas.
The themes represent a vision of San José's historic and contemporary identity, as well as community priorities and values. To view the sculptures click on this link.
The pre-cast concrete float bases are shaped as cars or chariots. The sculptures are ceramic tile over concrete and vary in shape and size. Seven have been developed in the form of columns, approximately 30 feet tall.