Central Park Gardens will be unveiling a new caterpillar sculpture at their annual Open House on Saturday, October 30^th, but the sculpture doesn’t have a name yet.  Community members are invited to attend the unveiling, meet the artists, and participate in a contest to name the sculpture.

The eight-foot long, concrete, steel, and mosaic sculpture is a whimsical rendition of a monarch butterfly caterpillar.  Children of all ages will appreciate the depictions of different shoes and socks on the caterpillar’s many feet.  “The sculpture design was selected to connect to the insects in the garden, but also to make our visitors smile, and I think it really hit the mark,” said garden volunteer Emily Griswold.  “We wanted a sculpture that would be kid-friendly – that they could climb on without getting in trouble.”

The sculpture was created by Faducci, the artistic duo of Solomon Bassoff and Domenica Mottarella from North San Juan near Nevada City.  Bassoff and Mottarella responded to a call for artists in fall of 2009 and were selected for the project based on the quality of their work and their experience creating durable, garden-inspired sculptures in public settings. Their work is unique for its infusion of bright color and lifelike textures and forms into a sturdy concrete medium.

At the recommendation of the Civic Arts Commission, the City of Davis provided funding for the sculpture through the municipal art fund.  Since the artists didn’t have a name in mind for the sculpture, Griswold asked city staff to delay the creation of a name plaque until a public contest could be held to select a name.

The sculpture unveiling and naming contest will be part of a series of attractions at the Central Park Gardens Open House.  Visitors will have a chance to learn more about monarch butterflies and their life cycle from UC Davis entomologist Louie Yang.  Yolo County Master Gardeners will also be on hand throughout the gardens with information about eco-friendly gardening techniques – such as composting, vegetable gardening, least toxic pest control, and growing natives.  Free wildflower seeds will be available for all, and a plant sale of fall vegetables, flowers, herbs, and natives will raise much needed funds to benefit garden maintenance.

Naming Contest Information

The sculpture naming contest will be open from Friday, October 29^th through Friday, November 5^th.  Contest entries should include the name, phone number, and email address of the entrant, the suggested caterpillar name, and a brief (50 words or fewer) explanation for why the name is being suggested.  Entries may be submitted by email to centralparkgardens@gmail.com or in person at the unveiling on Saturday, October 30^th from 9 am to noon.

A committee comprised of garden volunteers and the artists will select the winning name.  Names that reflect the biology or habitat of the monarch butterfly are encouraged.  The winner will receive a field guide to identifying butterflies and a potted milkweed plant, the preferred food source for the monarch caterpillar.