3,000 Vinyl Balls Placed As Floating Art In MacArthur Park Lake

MACARTHUR PARK (CBSLA.com) — Volunteers Saturday finally launched inflatable balls they've spent months decorating into MacArthur Park's lake.

Organizers with Portraits of Hope say the 3,000 spheres - which resemble vinyl beach balls covered in floral and fish patterns - will remain in the water for a month as a public art display.

The set will be replaced with new ones every five days or so to relieve the first set of spheres being installed this weekend, according to Portraits of Hope co-founder Ed Massey. The non-profit organization is based in Santa Monica and aims to bring communities together through large-scale art projects of social consequence.

After the exhibit closes, the four- to six-foot-diameter spheres will be donated to schools, shelters,  hospitals and other organizations.

While normally, the park is often something many people avoid, on Saturday, CBS2's Greg Mills people came from near and far to check out the exhibit.

Boomer Williams said he saw more practical reasons.

"This is the first time shooting color on my new camera so this is a perfect opportunity," Williams said.

The display is the latest project from Ed Massey and brother Bernie. The two team on giant art projects where you would least expect them.

"We just finished doing public laundromats in New York City," Ed said.

Mayor Eric Garcetti agreed MacArthur Park could use a little color and art.

"Art to me," said Garcetti, "doesn't mean much if it's just locked away from behind museum doors. It has to be where people are."

Today, just 150 of the spheres were placed in the water -- by Tuesday the number of spheres will grow to 2,500.