Sony Pictures Entertainment announced plans to install a major public art sculpture by American multimedia artist Tony Tasset that will highlight filmmaking.
Rainbow will be a 94-foot by 188-foot steel rainbow bridging the studio’s Main Street and Madison Gate. Tasset was inspired by the optimism and The Wizard of Oz influence the rainbow brings.
“This is an exciting moment for us,” said Sony Pictures Studios CEO Michael Lynton. “Because this lot dates back nearly a century to the earliest days of film, we wanted to commission a work of art that honors our history and makes a lasting contribution to our studio, Culver City and the community-at-large.”
Co-Chairman Amy Pascal added, “Culver City has this amazing emphasis on the value of art in the community, and we are thrilled to be able to deliver something as memorable as Tony’s Rainbow sculpture will be. The beauty of this iconic design is that it both harkens back to a wonderful era of filmmaking and celebrates the power of imagination that continues to inspire our work today.”
“The Sony Pictures Studios lot has been integral to the history of the Heart of Screenland since Thomas Ince established the working lot in 1915,” said Julie Lugo Cerra, Culver City Historian. “It’s a thrill to see Sony Pictures adding to their contribution to Culver City’s entertainment cultural heritage with this exciting project by such a talented artist.”
The concept of the design was approved unanimously by the Culver City Cultural Affairs Commission subcommittee. The $1.6 million project is receiving its funds from the Sony Pictures’ Public Art Requirement and construction is expected to be completed by early 2012.