Open Books Open Minds

Steve Elicker

Large, sculptural seating and artist-designed paving are the two main elements of this public artwork. The stained and sandnblasted concrete leading from the parking lot to the main library entrance is textured to reference the “Yellow Brick Road,” which is the theme of the interior design palette for the building. Sandblasted text along the path refers to various fables chosen by the artist and large, ceramic-titled “books” serve both as the focal point for this artwork and provide functional seating. These are sited outside the entrance to the Mark Twain Public Library, the first building in Long Beach to receive the Silver Medal LEED (Leaders in Energy and Environmental Design) Award from the U.S. Green Building Council and is the largest of the branch libraries.