CITY OF FULLERTON
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Community and Economic Development Department
Item No. 1
May 13, 2026
6:30 p.m.
Public Hearing
TO: Chairman Valadez and
Members of the Landmarks Commission/Planning Commission
APPLICATION
LRP-2026-0008
APPLICANT
Fullerton Heritage on behalf of City of Fullerton
LOCATION
353 West Commonwealth Avenue
SUMMARY AND APPLICATIONS REQUESTED
This is a request to designate the “Flight” public art sculpture as a Historical (Local) Landmark with a corresponding request to amend The Fullerton Plan to add the artwork to Table 6 (City of Fullerton Local Register of Historical Resources) and Exhibit 3 (Map of Historical Resources) of The Fullerton Plan.
CEQA DETERMINATION
The application is determined to be categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15331 – Historical Resource Restoration/Rehabilitation, which allows for the preservation and conservation of historical resources in a manner consistent with the Secretary of Interior's Standards for the treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings.
AUTHORIZATION/GUIDELINES
Fullerton Municipal Code (FMC) Section 15.48.050 authorizes the Landmarks Commission to designate a property as a Historical (Local) Landmark, after due consideration and public hearing.
The Landmarks Commission review shall consider the criteria specified in FMC Section
15.48.060, Criteria for Designation.
California Government Code Section 65353 establishes a procedure wherein the Planning Commission, acting in their role as the Landmarks Commission, is authorized to consider a Landmarks Commission Staff Report
May 13, 2026
Item No. 1 Page 2 LRP-2026-0008
revision to the General Plan at a noticed public hearing and forward their recommendation to the City Council for final action.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
On May 1, 2026, the City sent a Public Hearing Notice to owners and occupants of property within a 300-foot radius of the project site. The notice was posted on the City’s website and at the Maintenance Services Department, Main Library, Museum Center, and City Hall on the Public Notice Boards on April 23, 2026. In addition, notice was published in the Fullerton News Tribune on April 30, 2026.
PROJECT BACKGROUND / HISTORY
Project Applicant: Fullerton Heritage on behalf of City of Fullerton Property Owner: City of Fullerton
Property Location: 353 West Commonwealth Avenue
General Location: North side of Commonwealth Avenue between City Hall and Fullerton Public Library
Parcel Number: APN 032-154-42
Existing Community
Development Type (General
Plan Land Use Designation):
Government
Existing Zoning
Classification: P-L
Site Size: 112,323 square feet
Circulation: N/A
Parking: N/A
Existing Condition: Public artwork on public land
Surrounding Land Use
and Zoning: Civic Center – P-L
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The applicant, Fullerton Heritage on behalf of the City of Fullerton, is seeking designation of the subject artwork as a Historical (Local) Landmark with corresponding General Plan Revision to add the site to the Local Register of Historical Resources (Table 6 of The Fullerton Plan) and to the Historical Resources – National and Local Map (Exhibit 3 of The Fullerton Plan) as follows:
“Flight” – 353 West Commonwealth Avenue HL-117
ANALYSIS
FMC Chapter 15.48 (Landmarks, Landmark Districts, Residential Preservation Zones, and Significant Properties) establishes the process for determining whether a site is worthy of designation as a Local Landmark. Such designation confirms that the historic, cultural, architectural or aesthetic value of a property merits its preservation, restoration, and/or protection.
FMC 15.48.060, Criteria for a “Historical Landmark” designation, identifies the following criteria for determining eligibility:
Landmarks Commission Staff Report
May 13, 2026
Item No. 1 Page 3 LRP-2026-0008
1. Character, interest or value as part of the heritage of the City.
2. Location as a site of a historic event.
3. Identification with a person or persons or groups who significantly contributed to the culture and development of the City.
4. Exemplification of a particular architectural style or way of life important to the City.
5. Exemplification of the best remaining architectural types in an area.
6. Identification as the work of a person or persons whose work has influenced the heritage of the City, the State of California or the United States.
7. Embodiment of elements of outstanding attention to architectural design, detail, materials or craftsmanship.
8. Relationship to other landmarks, where the preservation of one has a bearing on the preservation of another.
9. A unique location or singular physical characteristic representing an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood.
10. Integrity as a natural environment that strongly contributes to the well-being of the people of the City.
The artwork qualifies as a Local Landmark per criteria 3, 7, and 9.
Fullerton Heritage provided background and research concerning this artwork including photographs, historical background, and architectural information (Attachment 2). Highlights for “Flight” are summarized below.
In 1974, City officials formed the all-volunteer Fullerton Bicentennial Committee to plan commemorative events for the nation’s 200th anniversary in 1976. Dolores (Dede) Ginter was selected Chair of the Committee, which included many prominent residents with different areas of expertise, including Warren Bowen, H. Lynn Sheller, Foster Kinney, Jane Drake Slocum, and Mary Anne Lyles. Over the next two years, Committee members planned and coordinated a multitude of Bicentennial events around the City including auctions, lectures, art exhibitions, fairs, contests, theatrical events (concerts, plays, dances, puppet skits), school projects, local history displays, fireworks, etc. To oversee Committee funds, a separate Fullerton Bicentennial Nonprofit Corporation was also established.
In remembrance of Fullerton’s Bicentennial celebration, Committee members wanted a lasting reminder of the 1976 anniversary event. A nine-member Subcommittee – the Fullerton Bicentennial Committee for Art in Public Places – was organized and tasked with selecting an appropriate sculpture that would be prominently displayed in the lawn area between the Fullerton Public Library and the Fullerton City Hall in the 300 block of West Commonwealth Avenue.
Notable painter Florence Arnold was selected Chair of the Subcommittee; other members included Dorian Hunter, Frank Chow, Pauline and Pamela Nevius, and Frances Wood, the first woman elected to the Fullerton City Council. The completed sculpture would be Fullerton’s first major public art project.
In January 1976, Public Art Committee members invited a select number of California artists with appropriate qualifications to submit a resume, along with examples of completed commissions, for an initial screening. Three artists were selected to submit models and drawings for a possible Bicentennial sculpture: Aldo Casanova, Claire Faulkenstein, and Jan De Swart. Aldo Casanova, Landmarks Commission Staff Report
May 13, 2026
Item No. 1 Page 4 LRP-2026-0008
an art professor from Scripps College in Claremont, was selected to create Flight, a 5,000-pound zinc and steel sculpture celebrating space travel.
When Casanova’s selection was announced, fundraising immediately began throughout the community. The City supplied some funding, but the majority of the cost was paid for by donations received from residents, businesses, and associations. More than 200 residents donated to the project. The Fullerton Library Board of Trustees donated $5,000. The sculpture eventually cost $49,000, with $37,000 spent on fabrication and installation, and $12,000 going to the artist. An additional $2,000 was spent on the sculpture dedication ceremony.
When Flight was unveiled, it caused immediate controversy within the community. Residents complained that the cost of the sculpture was too high, but City Clerk records reported no protests were voiced at July 1977, October 1977, and June 1978 Fullerton City Council meetings when the sculpture’s price and size were discussed and funding allocated. Others disliked the abstract art, noting that Flight looked like a check point or hockey stick.
Subcommittee Chair Florence Arnold, however, championed the sculpture, claiming it really needed no defense: “It’s exquisite. It’s a very minimal statement, very minimal art, with two beautiful curves. It doesn’t need anyone to stand there and defend it. When we selected it, we selected it because we thought it was beautiful.”
After nearly two decades as part of the Fullerton City Hall landscape, the Fullerton City Council, in a split vote, decided that Flight should be moved to the Fullerton Municipal Airport in May 1996.
The move, which would have cost $18,000, was reconsidered and halted when former Fullerton Bicentennial Committee members protested and reported that the piece was designed specifically for its current location. Committee members also pointed out that the sculpture had nothing to do with airports or airplanes.
While Flight remains in its original location, changes have been made to the terrain and vegetation, and a later addition to the Fullerton Public Library has brought the sculpture closer to the building.
Landmarks Commission Staff Report
May 13, 2026
Item No. 1 Page 5 LRP-2026-0008
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act, the recommended action is categorically exempt from environmental review per Section 15331 of State CEQA Guidelines.
This Class 31 Exemption allows the preservation and conservation of historical resources in a manner consistent with the Secretary of Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings.
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Pursuant to the findings and facts, including General Plan consistency outlined therein, finds that the project is categorically exempt from CEQA, and adopts Landmarks Commission Resolution No. PC-2026-09, entitled:
A RESOLUTION OF THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING THE “FLIGHT” PUBLIC
ARTWORK LOCATED AT 353 WEST COMMONWEALTH AVENUE (HISTORIC LANDMARK NO. HL-117) AND RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL
APPROVE A GENERAL PLAN REVISION TO MAKE CORRESPONDING
AMENDMENTS TO THE FULLERTON PLAN HISTORIC PRESERVATION
ELEMENT, TABLE 6 – CITY OF FULLERTON LOCAL REGISTER OF
HISTORICAL RESOURCES AND EXHIBIT 3 – MAP OF HISTORICAL
RESOURCES – NATIONAL AND LOCAL
DATED: May 13, 2026
LRP-2026-0008 – FLIGHT SCULPTURE – 353 WEST COMMONWEALTH AVENUE Attachment No. 1
Draft Landmarks Commission Resolution No. PC-2026-09
RESOLUTION NO. PC-2026-09
A RESOLUTION OF THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING THE “FLIGHT” PUBLIC ARTWORK LOCATED AT 353 WEST COMMONWEALTH AVENUE (HISTORIC LANDMARK NO. HL-117) AS A LOCAL LANDMARK AND RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY
COUNCIL APPROVE A GENERAL PLAN REVISION TO MAKE
CORRESPONDING AMENDMENTS TO THE FULLERTON PLAN HISTORIC PRESERVATION ELEMENT, TABLE 6 – CITY OF FULLERTON LOCAL REGISTER OF HISTORICAL RESOURCES AND EXHIBIT 3 – MAP OF HISTORICAL RESOURCES – NATIONAL AND LOCAL
LRP-2026-0008
APPLICANT: FULLERTON HERITAGE
PROPERTY OWNER: CITY OF FULLERTON
RECITALS
WHEREAS, applications were filed for Local Landmark Designation of property located at the following property:
353 West Commonwealth Avenue - Orange County Assessor’s Parcel No. 032-154-42 WHEREAS, the Landmarks/Planning Commission of the City of Fullerton, California, in compliance with noticing requirements of Fullerton Municipal Code (FMC) Section 15.76.040, held a duly noticed public hearing on said application; and
WHEREAS, the applications are categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15331 - Historical Resource Restoration/Rehabilitation, which allows for the preservation and conservation of historical resources in a manner consistent with the Secretary of Interior's Standards for the treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings.
RESOLUTION
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FOUND AND DETERMINED AND RESOLVED by the Landmarks Commission of the City of Fullerton as follows:
1. In all respects as set forth in the Recitals of this Resolution.
2. The Landmarks Commission, pursuant to FMC Chapter 15.48, makes the following findings regarding the Landmark designation for the subject property:
a. Finding: The public artwork “Flight” located at 353 West Commonwealth Avenue is eligible for a Historical Landmark designation in accordance with the criteria identified in FMC Section 15.48.060.
Fact: The property meets Local Landmark eligibility Criterion 3, because of its association with notable residents of Fullerton. The Fullerton Bicentennial Committee for Art in Public Places – was organized and tasked with selecting an appropriate sculpture that would be Res. No. PC-2026-09
- 2 -
prominently displayed in the lawn area between the Fullerton Public Library and the Fullerton City Hall in the 300 block of West Commonwealth Avenue. Notable painter Florence Arnold was selected Chair of the Subcommittee; other members included Dorian Hunter, Frank Chow, Pauline and Pamela Nevius,5 and Frances Wood, the first woman elected to the Fullerton City Council. The completed sculpture would be Fullerton’s first major public art project.
Fact: The property also meets Local Landmark eligibility Criterion 7, because of its embodiment of elements of outstanding attention to architectural design, detail, materials or craftsmanship as the renowned artist Aldo Casanova designed the artwork. His works can be found in a number of permanent collections, such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., and the UCLA Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden. Casanova enjoyed a long and honored career in the arts. He was elected in 1992, to the National Academy of Design, and in 1994, he was made a Fellow of the National Sculpture Society.
He was the recipient of the Louis Comfort Tiffany Purchase Award, the Speyer Prize, the Lindsay Morris Prize, and the Tallix Foundry Prize from the National Sculpture Gallery.
Additionally, technical artist, fabricator, and conservator Jack Brogan fabricated the “Flight” artwork. His studio, Design Concepts, in Venice Beach, provided fabricator services to architects and industrial engineers, as well as NASA, Lockheed, and space contractors. Working from his studio, Brogan addressed the varying materials and production needs of the artists, architects, and industrial designers he worked with to fabricate prototypes and unique objects.
Brogan is best known for his work with the artists – Robert Irwin, Larry Bell, Peter Alexander, Helen Pashgian, etc. – behind Southern California’s Light and Space Movement. Known as the Finish Fetish artists because of their manipulation of surfaces, the artists experimented with new materials and technologies, including acrylic, fluorescent lights, urethanes, and resin, that were often polished to a high sheen.
Brogan’s papers are on file in the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Several books and catalogs discussing his work have been published, including Margaret Miya Honda’s Found Technology: The Art Fabrication Business of Jack Brogan (1991); the Baxter Art Gallery’s Jack Brogan: Projects exhibition catalog; and the Getty Research Institute’s Pacific Standard Time: Los Angeles Art, 1945-1980 (2011).
Fact: The property also meets Local Landmark eligibility Criterion 9, as a unique location or singular physical characteristic representing an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood due to its prominent location between City Hall and the Fullerton Public Library.
b. Finding: Designation of this property as a Historical (Local) Landmark is consistent with the goals and policies contained in The Fullerton Plan.
Fact: The Historic Landmark Designation of this artwork supports The Fullerton Plan, Policy 4.2 Awareness of Historic Resources which supports programs and policies to raise the awareness of the value of historic resources in strengthening communities, conserving resources, fostering economic development, and enriching lives.
Fact: The Historic Landmark designation of the subject properties support The Fullerton Plan, Policy 4.4 Historic Character and Sense of Place which supports actions to reinforce the character and sense of place of established neighborhoods.
Res. No. PC-2026-09
- 3 -
c. Finding: Property owner consent for the Historical Landmark designation has been granted pursuant to FMC 15.48.050.
Fact: The City has given written consent for the filing of the application for landmark designation.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED the Landmarks Commission does hereby APPROVE LRP-2026-0008, designating the public art as HL-117 and recommends the City Council amend The Fullerton Plan Historic Preservation Element, Table 6 – City of Fullerton Local Register of Historical Resources and Exhibit 3 – Historical Resources Map – National and Local.
ADOPTED BY THE FULLERTON LANDMARKS COMMISSION ON MAY 13, 2026. _______________________________
Oscar Valadez, Chairman
LRP-2026-0008 – FLIGHT SCULPTURE – 353 WEST COMMONWEALTH AVENUE Attachment No. 2
Supporting Documentation
Page of *Resource Name or #: (Assigned by recorder)
P1. Other Identifier:
____
1 State of California The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
*P2. Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted
*a. County Orange and (P2c, P2e, and P2b or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.)
*b. USGS 7.5' Quad Date T ; R ; of of Sec ; B.M.
c. Address 353 W. Commonwealth Avenue City Fullerton Zip 92832 d. UTM: (Give more than one for large and/or linear resources) Zone , mE/ mN e. Other Locational Data: (e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, decimal degrees, etc., as appropriate) *P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries)
A celebration of the “energy, foresight and courage” that made America great, Flight symbolizes “in abstract terms man’s indomitable delving into the unknown.1 It took fabricator Jack Brogan of San Pedro six months to construct the 18-foot, 6-inch-tall sculpture, which is 27-feet, 6-inches in length. Of steel, box beam construction, the silver-colored Flight is covered with three (Continued on page 4)
*P3b. Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes)
*P4.Resources Present: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other
(Isolates, etc.)
P5b. Description of Photo: (view, date,
accession #) “Flight” sculpture,
March 21, 2026
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Source: Historic Prehistoric
Both
*P7. Owner and Address:
City of Fullerton
303 W. Commonwealth Avenue
Fullerton, CA 92832
*P8. Recorded by: (Name, affiliation,
and address)
Fullerton Heritage
PO Box 3356
Fullerton, CA 92834
*P9. Date Recorded: April, 2026
*P10. Survey Type: (Describe)
*P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey
report and other sources, or enter "none.") _
____
*Attachments: NONE Location Map Continuation Sheet Building, Structure, and Object Record Archaeological Record District Record Linear Feature Record Milling Station Record Rock Art Record Artifact Record Photograph Record Other (List):
P5a. Photograph or Drawing (Photograph required for buildings, structures, and objects.)
*Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) *NRHP Status Code Page of
2 State of California The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
(This space reserved for official comments.)
(Sketch Map with north arrow required.)
,
B1. Historic Name: “Flight” B2. Common Name: “Flight”
B3. Original Use: Sculpture model B4. Present Use: Sculpture *B5. Architectural Style: N.A.
*B6. Construction History: Approved, commissioned, and working model completed 1976; fabrication began 1977; finished and installed 1978; repaired and restored 2002
*B7. Moved? No Yes Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features:
B9a. Designer/Artist: Aldo Casanova (1929-2014) b. Builder/Fabricator: Jack Brogan (1930-2022) _ *B10. Significance: Fullerton’s first major public art project; 1976 Bicentennial commemorative Area Fullerton, CA
Period of Significance: 20th Century Property Type: Sculpture Applicable Criteria (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity.)
In 1976, the Fullerton Bicentennial Committee formed a nine-member Subcommittee – the Fullerton Bicentennial Committee for Art in Public Spaces – to select an appropriate sculpture that would be permanently displayed in the civic center. Bicentennial Committee members wanted a major art piece that would remind later generations of the nation’s 200th anniversary.
Subcommittee members selected renowned international artist Aldo Casanova to create Flight, a 5,000-pound steel and zinc sculpture that celebrates space travel. Casanova, in turn, selected innovative Los Angeles fabricator Jack Brogan, known for his expertise with modern industrial materials, to assemble and fashion the sculpture. Still in its original location on the lawn between City Hall and the Library, Flight was Fullerton’s first major public art project, and the city’s only physical reminder of the 1976 commemorative celebration. Casanova’s working model for Flight is on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Historic Background
In 1974, city officials formed the all-volunteer Fullerton Bicentennial Committee to plan commemorative events for the nation’s 200th anniversary in 1976. Dolores (Dede) Ginter was selected Chair of the Committee, which included many prominent (Continued on page 5)
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) *B12. References:
B13. Remarks:
*B14. Evaluator:
*Date of Evaluation: N
Commonwealth Avenue
Fullerton Library
Page of *Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) __________________ *Map Name: *Scale: *Date of map: _____________
3 State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
LOCATION MAP Trinomial Fullerton City Hall Fullerton Public Library Addition to Library in 2010 Location of Flight N
4 State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
Trinomial
CONTINUATION SHEET
Property Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page _____ of _____
Continuation of P3a
coats of sprayed zinc that was buffed and polished. Casanova wanted Flight to be stainless steel, which resists tarnish, but the cost proved too prohibitive. The piece was built in a boatyard in Terminal Island, using a process followed to build boat hulls. Casanova planned to have Flight completed in 1977, but additional fundraising, foundation work, and delays in the city approval process pushed the installation to November 14, 1978, with a formal dedication held on November 19, 1978.2
The Civic Center area was selected for the placement of the sculpture because Committee members thought it was a centrally located area that was well known to the public and offered adequate parking.
The specific site chosen for the sculpture was an open expanse of lawn between Fullerton City Hall and the Fullerton Public Library (see location map, page 3). Centered between these two buildings, the sculpture was able to be seen from the north parking area and from the south, along Commonwealth Avenue. Placed only 35 ft. away from the sidewalk along Commonwealth Avenue, the sculpture was able to be easily seen by motorists along Commonwealth Avenue.
In 2010, a major addition to the Fullerton Public Library was constructed on its east side. As a result, the sculpture is now located close to the Library’s east side, with only 10 to 12 feet of separation. Landscaping of trees and shrubs around the Library’s exterior now partially hides the sculpture from public view, especially from the north.
Restoration
When the Fullerton Public Art Committee (now dissolved) was formed in late 1998, Committee members made restoration of the steel and zinc sculpture a high priority. In February 2002, funds were allocated to repair and refinish Flight and its concrete base. Committee members also hoped to create a more inviting and safer public space between the City Hall and Library by lighting the sculpture at night. Judith Davies, a sculpture and restoration specialist based in Santa Monica, completed the repair and restoration in May 2002. Architectural lighting consultant Bruce Hostetter furnished plans for lighting and supporting the fixtures, which were installed by the city’s Electrical Services staff.3
5 State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
Trinomial
CONTINUATION SHEET
Property Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page _____ of _____
Continuation of B3
residents with different areas of expertise, including Warren Bowen, H. Lynn Sheller, Foster Kinney, Jane Drake Slocum, and Mary Anne Lyles. Over the next two years, Committee members would plan and coordinate a multitude of Bicentennial events around the city: auctions; lectures; art exhibitions, fairs, and contests; theatrical events (concerts, plays, dances, puppet skits); school projects; local history displays; fireworks, etc. To oversee Committee funds, a separate Fullerton Bicentennial Nonprofit Corporation was also established.
In remembrance of Fullerton’s Bicentennial celebration, Committee members wanted a lasting reminder of the 1976 anniversary event. A nine-member Subcommittee – the Fullerton Bicentennial Committee for Art in Public Places – was organized and tasked with selecting an appropriate sculpture that would be prominently displayed in the lawn area between the Fullerton Public Library and the Fullerton City Hall in the 300 block of West Commonwealth Avenue.4 Notable painter Florence Arnold was selected Chair of the Subcommittee; other members included Dorian Hunter, Frank Chow, Pauline and Pamela Nevius,5 and Frances Wood, the first woman elected to the Fullerton City Council. The completed sculpture would be Fullerton’s first major public art project.
In January 1976, Public Art Committee members invited a select number of California artists with appropriate qualifications to submit a resume, along with examples of completed commissions, for an initial screening 6 Three artists were selected to submit models and drawings for a possible Bicentennial sculpture: Aldo Casanova, Claire Faulkenstein, and Jan De Swart.7 Aldo Casanova, an art professor from Scripps College in Claremont, was selected to create Flight, a 5,000-pound zinc and steel sculpture celebrating space travel. When Casanova’s selection was announced, fundraising immediately began throughout the community. The city supplied some funding, but the majority of the cost was paid for by donations received from residents, businesses, and associations.8 More than 200 residents donated to the project. The Fullerton Library Board of Trustees donated $5,000. The sculpture eventually cost $49,000, with $37,000 spent on fabrication and installation, and $12,000 going to the artist 9 An additional $2,000 was spent on the sculpture dedication ceremony.
When Flight was unveiled, it caused immediate controversy within the community. Residents complained that the cost of the sculpture was too high, but city clerk records reported no protests were voiced at the July 1977, October 1977, and June 1978, Fullerton City Council meetings when the sculpture’s price and size were discussed and funding allocated. Others disliked the abstract art, noting that Flight looked like a check point or hockey stick.
Subcommittee Chair Florence Arnold, however, championed the sculpture, claiming it really needed no defense: “It’s exquisite. It’s a very minimal statement, very minimal art, with two beautiful curves. It doesn’t need anyone to stand there and defend it. When we selected it, we selected it because we thought it was beautiful.”10 After nearly two decades as part of the Fullerton City Hall landscape, the Fullerton City Council in a split vote decided that Flight should be moved to the Fullerton Municipal Airport in May 1996. The move, which would have cost $18,000, was reconsidered and halted when former Fullerton Bicentennial Committee members protested and reported that the piece was designed specifically for its current location. Committee members also pointed out that the sculpture had nothing to do with airports or airplanes.11 While Flight remains in its original location, changes have been made to the terrain and vegetation, and a later addition to the Fullerton Public Library has brought the sculpture closer to the building.
6 State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
Trinomial
CONTINUATION SHEET
Property Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page _____ of _____
Aldo Casanova (1929-2014)
A renowned international artist, Aldo Casanova was born in San Francisco to Italian immigrants. While attending public schools, Casanova majored in math, with aspirations of becoming a chemist, before switching to the study of art at San Francisco State University. The University granted him a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in 1950, and a Master of Arts degree the following year, then offered him a full-time teaching position. After two years in the position, he began teaching at Antioch College where he received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1957.
Casanova’s life changed when he was chosen for the prestigious Rome Prize Fellowship in Sculpture Program. He had a three-year residency at the American Academy in Rome from 1958 to 1961, then returned as a visiting artist in 1964-1966, 1968-1970, and 1975.12 Casanova began teaching at Scripps College in 1966, and throughout his 33 years, he taught a host of courses from Beginning Drawing to Advanced Sculpture.
His works can be found in a number of permanent collections, such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., and the UCLA Franklin D.
Murphy Sculpture Garden. Casanova enjoyed a long and honored career in the arts. He was elected in 1992, to the National Academy of Design, and in 1994, he was made a Fellow of the National Sculpture Society. He was the recipient of the Louis Comfort Tiffany Purchase Award, the Speyer Prize, the Lindsay Morris Prize, and the Tallix Foundry Prize from the National Sculpture Gallery.13 A catalog of his works, Aldo Casanova: A Retrospective, was published in 2002.14
Fabricator Jack Brogan (1930-2022)
A technical artist, fabricator, and conservator in Los Angeles, Jack Brogan – formally named Jackie Franklin Seidner – was born May 12, 1930, in Springfield, Ohio. He was adopted and raised by his maternal grandparents on a farm in Anderson County, Tennessee. He worked a number of jobs (e.g., Bible salesman, factory worker, etc.) before being drafted into the United States Army in 1950, serving in the Korean War.
After the war he moved to Los Angeles in 1958, where he opened a furniture-making shop, while also working for the Packard Bell Company; for real estate developers building models; and as a consultant to influential furniture makers Knoll, Inc. and Herman Miller. When his furniture shop burned down, he opened a studio, Design Concepts, in Venice Beach, offering fabricator services to architects and industrial engineers, as well as NASA, Lockheed, and space contractors.15
After he met and began working with installation artist Robert Irwin, the word spread about Brogan’s expertise in working with modern industrial materials, and other innovative artists sought him out to work on their own pieces.
Working from his studio, Brogan addressed the varying materials and production needs of the artists, architects, and industrial designers he worked with to fabricate prototypes and unique objects. Brogan is best known for his work with the artists – Robert Irwin, Larry Bell, Peter Alexander, Helen Pashgian, etc. – behind Southern California’s Light and Space Movement. Known as the Finish Fetish artists because of their manipulation of surfaces, the artists experimented with new materials and technologies, including acrylic, fluorescent lights, urethanes, and resin, that were often polished to a high sheen. Although he often remained in the background, Brogan engineered all types of materials, forming, sanding, painting, and burnishing art works into a variety of shapes and colors. Among his most 7 State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
Trinomial
CONTINUATION SHEET
Property Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page _____ of _____
noteworthy projects are those of Robert Irwin, including a series of prismatic acrylic columns from 1969-1970, and a major commission for the Central Garden of the Getty Center in Los Angeles.16 Brogan’s papers are on file in the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Several books and catalogs discussing his work have been published, including Margaret Miya Honda’s Found Technology: The Art Fabrication Business of Jack Brogan (1991); the Baxter Art Gallery’s Jack Brogan: Projects exhibition catalog; and the Getty Research Institute’s Pacific Standard Time: Los Angeles Art, 1945-1980 (2011).
Additional information on Flight, Aldo Casanova, and Jack Brogan will be found in the Local History Room of the Fullerton Public Library.
Bibliographical References
1 Aldo Casanova, “Artist’s Statement,” The Dedication of “Flight,” A Sculpture of Aldo Casanova, February 19, 1978. Dedication booklet. Copy on file, Local History Room, Fullerton Public Library. 2 “40-foot Sculpture Waiting for Place on Fullerton Lawn.” Fullerton News Tribune September 6, 1978; Molly Garnett, “Flight Put into Position.” Fullerton News Tribune November 16, 1978; “Fullerton’s Bicentennial Sculpture to be Dedicated.” Fullerton News Tribune November 16, 1978; “Dedication Ceremonies, the Bicentennial Program.” November 19, 1978. Copy on File, Local History Room, Fullerton Public Library; City of Fullerton Press Release:
Fullerton’s Bicentennial Sculpture to Premier November 19. November 3, 1978. Copy on file, Local History Room, Fullerton Public Library.
3 Joe Felz and Aimee Aul, “City of Fullerton Memorandum: Restoration and Lighting of Flight Sculpture.” February 27, 2002. Copy on file, Local History Room, Fullerton Public Library; ”City Hall Sculpture Gets a Facelift.” Fullerton News Tribune March 15, 2002; Barbara Giasone, “Flight Regaining Its Luster; Bicentennial Sculpture Getting a $12,000 Facelift and New Lighting.” Fullerton News Tribune March 28, 2002. Includes black and white photographs.
4 “Sculpture Will Fan Bicentennial Afterglow.” Fullerton News Tribune June 5, 1976. 5 Pauline Nevius was replaced by her daughter, Pamela, after her mother’s death. 6 Artist Entry Cards. On file, Local History Room, Fullerton Public Library. The artists initially selected were primarily from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and Chatsworth. 7 Florence Arnold, Memorandum, March 31, 1976. On file, Local History Room, Fullerton Public Library. 8 A list of contributors will be found in the dedication booklet. 9 “Budget Data Sheet.” Fullerton Bicentennial Committee. N.d. Copy on file, Local History Room, Fullerton Public Library; Molly Garnett, “Cost, Size of Fullerton ‘Flight’ Sculpture Took Off, Soared.” Fullerton News Tribune November 17, 1978.
10Molly Garnett, “Fuming Over ‘Flight.’” Fullerton News Tribune December 6, 1978; Jack Boettner, “Giant Hockey Stock? Nope, It’s a Sculpture.” Los Angeles Times 1978. 11 Dede Ginter, “’Flight’ Action Should be Reconsidered.” Fullerton News Tribune May 30, 1978; “Fight Over ‘Flight’ May Bring New Vote.” Fullerton News Tribune June 1, 1999; Barbara Giasone, “’Flight’ to Remain Grounded.” Fullerton News Tribune June 6, 1996; “Flight Sculpture to Stay at Present Site.” Fullerton News Tribune June 6, 1996.
12Prix De Rome, Top Award in World of Arts, Granted to Professor at Antioch.” Springfield News-Sun March 1, 1958; “Scripps Professor to Teach, Sculpt in Rome.” Los Angeles Times April 21, 1968. 13”Aldo Casanova [Obituary].” Claremont Courier October 3, 2014; “Aldo Casanova Obituary.” Ontario Daily Bulletin October 15, 2014. 14Aldo Casanova: A Retrospective. Claremont: Scripps College, 2002. Copy on file, Local History Room, Fullerton Public Library.
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15Gordy Grundy, “Legendary Fabricator Jack Brogan (1930-2022).” Artillery Magazine September 18, 2022. Online.; Penelope Green, “Jack Brogan, Who Gave Substance to Artists’ Visions, Is Dead at 92.” New York Times October 13, 1922.
16Gordy Grundy, “Fabricator to the Stars: Jack Brogan to the Finish.” HuffPost. December 8, 2017; Lawrence Weschler, “The Alchemist: A Profile of Jack Brogan.” The Brooklyn Rail: Critical Perspectives on Arts, Politics, and Culture. September 2021. Online.
Additional References:
“Casanova Believes in His Works.” Los Angeles Evening Citizen News April 1, 1967.
Curriculum Vitae: Aldo Casanova. Copy on file, Local History Room, Fullerton Public Library. “Dede Ginter [Obituary].” Los Angeles Times October 17, 2021. “Fullerton Sculptor to Exhibit Work during Festivities.” Fullerton News Tribune March 14, 1978. Includes photographs of Casanova’s works.
Honda, Margaret Miya. Found Technology: The Art Fabrication Business of Jack Brogan. Newark: University of Delaware, 1991.
Jack Brogan: Projects, 15 May through 29 June 1980: An Exhibition Presented at the Baxter Art Gallery. Pasadena:
Baxter Art Gallery, 1980. Copy on file, Local History Room, Fullerton Public Library.
A Morning with Aldo Casanova: Interview with Gretchen Allen. LAT Media. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_EMyyatAio
Pacific Standard Time: Los Angeles Art, 1945-1980. Los Angeles: Getty Research Institute, 2011. Copy on file, Local History Room, Fullerton Public Library.
“Readers Come to Defense of ‘Flight.’” Fullerton Daily News Tribune December 5, 1978. “Sculpture Boosters See Funds Increase, Study Art Submitted.” Fullerton News Tribune July 1, 1976. 9 State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
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Flight photo, 1978; looking north
Source: Local History Room, Fullerton Library
Flight photo, 1978; looking northwest
Source: Local History Room, Fullerton Library
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Manquette of Flight at the Smithsonian Museum
Plaque placed at the base of Flight sculpture
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Los Angeles Times, November 14, 1978
Source: Local History Room
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Fullerton News Tribune, 1978
Source: Local History Room
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Aldo Casanova, Artist Jack Brogan, Fabricator
Casanova (right) with “Flight” during 1978 installation 14 State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
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Photo of Flight sculpture, March 21, 2026
Photo of Flight sculpture, March 21, 2026
LRP-2026-0008 – FLIGHT SCULPTURE – 353 WEST COMMONWEALTH AVENUE Attachment No. 3
PowerPoint Presentation
Planning Commission
May 13, 2026
Historic Designation
Request
2 • Designate the "Flight" public artwork as a Historical (Local) Landmark with a corresponding request to amend The Fullerton Plan to add the artwork to Table 6 (City of Fullerton Local Register of Historical Resources) and Exhibit 3 (Map of Historical Resources) of The Fullerton Plan.
CEQA
4 Private park for Hughes
Aircraft employees
wild oat
• The application is determined to be categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15331 – Historical Resource Restoration/Rehabilitation, which allows for the preservation and conservation of historical resources in a manner consistent with the Secretary of Interior's Standards for the treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings.
Property Location
7 Flight
6 Recommended Action
A RESOLUTION OF THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING THE "FLIGHT" ARTWORK LOCATED AT 353 WEST COMMONWEALTH AVENUE (HISTORIC LANDMARK NO. HL-117) AS A LOCAL LANDMARK AND RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY
COUNCIL APPROVE A GENERAL PLAN REVISION TO MAKE
CORRESPONDING AMENDMENTS TO THE FULLERTON PLAN HISTORIC PRESERVATION ELEMENT, TABLE 6 – CITY OF FULLERTON LOCAL REGISTER OF HISTORICAL RESOURCES AND EXHIBIT 3 – MAP OF HISTORICAL RESOURCES – NATIONAL AND LOCAL
10 Planning Commission
May 13, 2026
Historic Designations