DAY TRIPPING | Art Walks

A Walking Tour of Florence

By Abby Bard

Ah, Florence! Surely a favorite tourist destination, with its history, art, gardens, architecture and food! But what about the expense of getting there, the language barrier and more?

No worries—I’m not talking about THAT Florence (the one in Italy). Here in Sebastopol we have our own Florence Avenue, brimming with art, architecture, culture and history. Even better—it’s right here, it’s free, it’s fun and it’s a delightful daytrip for the whole family from babies to elders. While many Florence Avenue “tourists” like to do a slow drive-by to see the unique folk art displayed on front yards, you will get much more enjoyment by parking your car (or bicycle) and taking a leisurely stroll down the street that runs between Healdsburg Avenue at the north end and Bodega Avenue on the south end.

If you’re hungry, begin your tour at the Healdsburg Avenue end. Grab coffee and a pastry or a sandwich at the European-style Village Bakery, a block east of Florence on Healdsburg Avenue, or an all-organic meal at Peter Lowell’s Restaurant in the Florence Lofts complex located at the corner of Florence and Healdsburg avenues.

These live/work lofts, the creation of Sebastopol architect Steve Sheldon, feature thoughtful landscaping irrigated with reused graywater. The lofts are the most recent new-construction project on Florence, and received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification from the United States Green Building Council. Stroll the gravel paths through the lofts’ central courtyard, under metal arches supporting flowering vines, and emerge on Florence to begin your art tour.

After arriving in the late 1990s from their former home in Montreal, via a cross-continental motor-home trip, sculptor Patrick Amiot, his wife (artist Brigitte Laurent) and their two daughters started a Florence Avenue renaissance. From the moment the first junk-art sculpture appeared on his lawn, his neighbors were intrigued and delighted and offered up their front yards to become part of his “gallery.” Now his prolific output of whimsical sculptures can be seen all up and down the street. Many spontaneous social gatherings and a strong feeling of community pride have been inspired by the colorful, playful and insightful art.

You will smile and even laugh as you notice the many tiny details of the sculptures that are composed of recycled metal household items, car parts, garden tools and other discarded items of modern life. Each piece has a story; there are fictional characters, heroes (real and action), surfers, animals, farmers, hot-rodders, jugglers, athletes and dinosaurs.

More than 25 sculptures, large and small, stand in front yards on both sides of the street, and new ones appear every week. You might be able to pick up some clues about the passions and avocations of those who live in these houses. Quite obvious is the home of one of the Ziemer brothers of local soccer-camp fame. More subtle is the home of “Beagle” Brodsky, manager of Willie Bird Turkeys. Heading towards Bodega Avenue, let your imagination guide you as you make a loop through the neighborhood.

Situated on the highest point of Florence, at the intersection of Huntley Street, is the Victorian architectural jewel of Florence Avenue, number 253. A century before Florence Avenue became known as “the sculpture street,” master carpenter George Strout, founder of the Analy Planing Mill and one of Sebastopol’s earliest mayors, built a charmingly embellished Queen Anne-style home for his family. Easily identified by its stained glass window with the date 1903 embedded in it, the historic house is lovingly maintained by its current owner, with two recently planted Mount Fuji flowering cherry trees in the yard. Coincidentally, Sebastopol’s current mayor, Guy Wilson, also lives in a Strout-built house on Florence.

Cross over Florence at Wilton Avenue and walk down to 176, where a sculpture of a milkman with three sly cats watches from the top of his delivery truck. As you head back towards Healdsburg Avenue, you’ll see a half-dozen more pieces and then come upon the sculptural mother lode. A towering palm tree rises above the whimsically gated driveway of 382 Florence, where every inch of lawn is covered with sculptures. At the top of a cement stairway leading up from the sidewalk, reach inside the red-painted fuse box on a post and help yourself to a pamphlet of the Patrick Amiot Urban Folk Art Collection.

You’ll want to spend a little time here, enjoying all the details of the crowd of figures, which include a self-portrait of the artist wearing a replica of a sweater knitted by his daughter showing his treasured dog, Pistache. In one hand he offers a silver heart held in a heart-shaped metal cage and a bouquet of flowers in the other. The sculpture was a gift to Brigitte who is the colorist for every piece of sculpture that Patrick builds. At this writing, there are eight sculptures in this yard alone—although the count can change in a minute, as new ones are added and others are sold and delivered to their permanent homes.

At 392 Florence, a wiry haired soccer player runs to kick a ball above a patch of lavender and next door, a couple of laid back campers sit around a fire pit toasting marshmallows alongside their camper truck. After crossing the spot where Zimpher Creek runs underneath and continues through town to the Laguna, you encounter an Oakland A’s pitcher, a wad of chew in his cheek, lobbing a ball, and then you’ll be in Wonderland, where the White Rabbit scurries to a very important date and the Cheshire Cat, with his mailbox paw, sits in a garden of geraniums and roses. Stop to smell the roses at 450 and then you’ll come across a sculpture of a wild dog driving a hot-rod. And finally, a tiny angel sitting on clouds at 470 marks the end of the show, and you’ll notice the sound of traffic as you approach Healdsburg Avenue.

You can finish off your tour of Florence by grabbing a snack or a meal at D’s Diner, El Tarasco, or Peking Chef (very kid-friendly), or more sophisticated adult fare at Peter Lowell’s or Sushi Tozai—all located on Healdsburg Avenue. Buon appetito!

Strolling the Foss Creek Pathway

By Ray Holley

Beginning in 2006, the city of Healdsburg began to implement a vision for a cross-town pedestrian and bicycle path. Dubbed the “Foss Creek Pathway” the path will follow the creek for portions of its length as well as the railroad tracks. Three sections of the pathway have been installed so far, with new sections continually being planned and installed as funds allow.

Geyserville residents Al and Judy Voigt saw the first section of the pathway when they were in the initial phases of creating the Voigt Family Sculpture Foundation, a non-profit family foundation that seeks
to promote an appreciation for sculpture in Sonoma County for residents and visitors alike.

The first project of the Voigt Family Sculpture Foundation was the installation of six works of art along that first phase of the Foss Creek Pathway. A second phase a year later included nine more pieces. In addition to works of art that you can walk around and admire, there are a variety of “art benches.” Al Voigt proposed these instead of traditional park benches, so that users of the pathway would be surprised and engaged with the novelty of interacting directly with the art.

The ideal place to begin a walk along the Foss Creek Pathway is near the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce, at 217 Healdsburg Avenue. Walk across the lawn next to the Chamber building, step over the railroad tracks and turn right onto the pathway. (The entire pathway is accessible for wheelchairs, walkers, strollers, etc., but the city is still working out access to the ends of the pathway.)

The first piece of art on the pathway is an art bench called “Butterfly Sofa.” It’s by artist William Wareham. The “sofa” is cut from a single piece of 36-inch diameter pipe, welded at a specific angle to maximize comfort of the sitter.

A little further along the pathway are two matched pieces, “Bop” and “Crazed” by Chuck Ginnever. The pieces are identical, but look quite different because of how they are placed and painted. The titles are inspired by Ginnever’s love of jazz music.

Across Matheson Street and on your left is the whimsical “Bench with Hook” by artist Mark Oldland. Some observe the bench and see the shape of a fish.

Across from the Oldland bench is the massive “Big Joe” by the late Peter Forakis. A giant of the 1960s abstract art scene, Forakis lived out his last years in Petaluma. Forakis’ work is based on geometry and “Big Joe” is part of his exploration of the cube. The top and bottom halves of the piece are mirror images of each other and when you walk around the piece it takes on dramatically different aspects, from an edge-on view where it almost disappears to a side view where it fills your vision.

If you’re taking this walk in market season, note that the Healdsburg Farmers Market is just across the parking lot from “Big Joe.” You’re also just a block from the Healdsburg Plaza, with plenty of places to quench your thirst—whether it’s for coffee, wine or root beer floats—and some of the best eateries in the North Bay. Try Bear Republic Brewing Company, in sight of “Big Joe” for award-winning beer and better-than-average brewpub grub.

Back on the pathway, you might be surprised at how comfortable it is to sit on “Tuberosity,” a bright yellow piece that attracts youngsters who love to climb on it as well. Al Voigt and Doug Unkrey experimented with angles and spaces until they found the right ratio to make two hard metal tubes into a surprisingly comfortable bench that doesn’t look
like a bench.

Moving north, try out the pair of “Blackbird Benches” across from Healdsburg City Hall. They’re another example of art and engineering combining to create a comfortable seat. Beginning with triangular slabs of steel, the benches were folded at various angles by artists Rebecca Nase, Chris Bernroth and Al Voigt.

Roger Berry’s sculpture, “Motzart,” is next. Conceived as a continuous strip of steel—a mobius strip—this piece illustrates how metal can be formed into a lyrical and graceful shape.

The most popular work of art on the Foss Creek Pathway is “Grazing Horse,” by Glen Ellen artist Bryan Tedrick. Constructed primarily of redwood and salvaged metal, the horse sculpture lovingly captures the curve of a horse’s neck and back in the act of eating. The horse has captured the fancy of area residents. Each holiday season, a fan places a holiday wreath around the horse’s neck, and others drop by to leave clumps of grass or hay near its mouth.

At the north end of the second phase of the pathway are three works by the late Daniel Oberti. “Spirit Wall and Spheres” are made from ceramic, steel and cement and are meticulously detailed. The grouping makes a powerful visual statement. Check out the carvings on the spheres, Oberti’s fanciful insignias and alchemical symbols.

There’s one more piece, a stone bench partly hidden in the trees to the left of the Oberti grouping. This bench, “Separation 7-7-7” by Suzanne Biaggi, is a single piece of basalt, cut in two. One half is left in a natural state, the other half is highly polished. This spring, the bench will be moved to a more prominent location on the next phase of the pathway.

Consider augmenting your stroll along the pathway by visiting voigtfoundation.com and downloading a series of podcasts that feature the artists discussing their works. It’s a delightful companion to the walk.  •