"On Saturday, September 27th, the City of Westminster will be hosting a dedication of Torii Square Park, to commemorate the renovations and the new sculpture installation titled “Lotus Dragon” by Lyons artist John King.
The City completed renovations on the park during the summer of 2013, investing $215,136 into the project. Torii Square Park is a 1.7 acre park that was originally constructed in 1975. The Rotary Club of Westminster dedicated a memorial for an exchange student, Yoko Nakamura Kishmoto, from Shizuoka, Japan at the park on July 27, 1975. The site also has a plaque dedicated to the first Westminster resident, Pleasant DeSpain, who homesteaded immediately north of the park site in 1870.
The renovations were made to instill a Japanese theme within the park and included a new shelter, concrete sidewalks, a shade garden around the shelter area with a natural play element, a planting bed along the south fencing, lighting, a new irrigation system and a “torii” gate.
The dedication was delayed until this year, pending the installation of the new kinetic sculpture by John King, which had been slated for completion and installation last fall. The sculpture commission was delayed due to the fact that John King’s home and studio were located on the banks of the St Vrain Creek in Lyons. With the flooding last September, a portion of John’s home, his entire studio and a major piece he had just completed for installation were completely washed away in the flood waters. A year later John has rebuilt his life, home, studio and the demolished art pieces, and finally he has completed the piece for Torii Square. This new kinetic work, ‘Lotus Dragon’, was uniquely designed to complement the Japanese theme of the park and be a focal point to highlight the natural beauty of the setting. It also maintains Westminster’s commitment to enhance the City’s parks and neighborhoods through public art.
John King’s work was first recognized in Westminster when one of John’s pieces was installed in the Rodeo Market Sculpture Garden as part of the South Westminster Art Group’s (SWAG) Sculpture on 73rd Avenue art-on-loan program. Silver Glider, an 18’ tall kinetic sculpture which was installed on a pad next to the Rodeo Market on 73rd Ave as part of the 2011-12 program, was widely appreciated by the community and received the highest number of votes when SWAG held its annual survey of new sculpture submittals. The Sculpture on 73rd Avenue program invites the community to participate in the sculpture selection process each year during the annual Historic Westminster Orchard Festival, also being held this year on September 27th. Votes on submitted sculptures are tabulated and along with jurying, seven new sculpture are selected for installation each October. The artist receives a $500 stipend and if their sculpture is purchased during the year that it is on display, the artist agrees to pay a 20% commission to SWAG, which pays for future costs of the program. While Silver Glider was on display, SWAG worked with the City to encourage its purchase along with the other sculptures on display that year.
The City’s public art design guidelines require that each new office, commercial and multi-family residential development spend $1000 per newly developed acre towards the purchase of public art. While developers are allowed to select the art for installation on their property, they may also contribute the funds to the City’s public art fund in lieu. For those developers that choose to purchase their own art, the City tries to encourage purchase through the Sculpture on 73rd Avenue program.
During the year that Silver Glider was installed in the program, it was considered by a developer but was not purchased. Knowing the positive response from the community to Silver Glider, the City was committed to seeing one of John King’s pieces in Westminster and asked John if he would be willing to pay commission to SWAG if the City was able to find a buyer for that piece or another of his works in Westminster within the next year. John graciously accepted the offer and within the next year, the City succeeded in its mission with a new piece by John, ‘Apple Sprite Dancer’, being commissioned for the park at the Orchard Town Center. At the same time the City began considering a piece for Torii Square and John agreed to pay commission on this piece as well. “This is a win-win-win-win partnership. It helps the artist get their work purchased, it allows developers to choose from a selection of public art pieces that have been juried and received well by the community, it grows the City’s public art collection and at the same time it generates income to SWAG, allowing them to continue to enrich the neighborhood with the sculpture garden, providing enjoyment and appreciation of art to its residents. It is a different approach and it was wonderful to have had the opportunity to give back and ultimately to have my sculptures in Westminster” said King.
Community residents are invited to attend the Torii Square Park and “Lotus Dragon” dedication. The event will take place Saturday, September 27th at 9:00 a.m. at 7596 Lowell Blvd. Afterwards, they can venture over to the Rodeo Market Community Arts Center at 73rd and Osceola for the Annual Orchard Festival and to vote on the sculpture submittals for the upcoming year of Sculpture on 73rd Avenue." (from (
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