Volunteers To Launch Thousands Of Balls Into MacArthur Park This Weekend
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Volunteers will begin launching thousands of hand-painted vinyl balls into the lake at MacArthur Park Friday as part of a large-scale public arts installation.
The volunteers will be working through the weekend to piece together "Spheres of MacArthur Park," which involves filling up the 8.39-acre lake with about 3,000 balls, each 4- to 6-feet in diameter and covered in bright floral and fish patterns.
Ed Massey, co-founder of the Santa Monica-based nonprofit Portraits of Hope, which organized the effort, estimates the installation will be ready for public viewing by Monday. He said the group could use some extra volunteers this weekend, preferably high-school-aged or older, to help with prepping and installing the balls.
The spheres will be in place for a four-week run, during which time another 3,000 balls or so will be introduced into the lake every five days or so to relieve the first set of spheres being installed this weekend, Massey said.
After the exhibit closes, the spheres will be donated to schools, hospitals and other organizations.
The vinyl, beach-ball-like orbs were painted by hand earlier this summer by about 10,000 volunteers, including hospital patients, students from nearby schools and youth who took part in the Special Olympics, Massey said.
Anyone interested in helping with this weekend's installation can reach the nonprofit at poh@portraitsofhope.org or by calling (310) 951-5936.
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