The city-commissioned public art sculpture honoring Piedmont’s first African-American residents is moving forward with a goal of completion before the end of 2026, according to the office of the Piedmont City Administrator.
In the first of three phases that will eventually see a sculpture rise in Triangle Park adjacent to the Dearing family’s former residence, landscape architect Walter Hood has begun working with Coastland Engineering to create schematic drawings of the project. A budget of $417,260 for the Dearing Memorial was approved in January by the Piedmont City Council and will be financed under its Capital Improvement Fund. Additionally, the Piedmont Beautification Foundation has raised $25,000 in private contributions so far. Funds will be collected and held until the project is completed, then transferred to the city to help offset project costs.
Although drawings exist, the sculpture has yet to begin taking shape. Designs call for it to sit on a concrete foundation, nestled in the park among a redwood grove. Its final form and materials are yet to be established, but the artist has described the design concept as interactive, a “portal” that allows observers to experience images of the site’s past and the future. The sculpture will be no larger than 24-feet tall.
Members of different branches of the Dearing family have separately met with the city and with the artist to agree on design principles. At least one family member is in litigation with the city. In 1924, Piedmont’s first African-American residents, Irene and Sidney Dearing, were subjected to a campaign of terror by Piedmont citizens designed to drive them from their home.