Redondo Beach City Council voted unanimously Tuesday, Oct. 20, to shortlist artists for a $450,000 public art corridor along Artesia Boulevard. The vote came despite objections from residents who argued the money should go toward functional amenities rather than roadway sculptures.

The decision, reported by Patch, did not approve final designs or award contracts. It advanced a pool of artists to submit detailed proposals for installations planned between Aviation Boulevard and Inglewood Avenue in North Redondo Beach.

The Artesia Boulevard Strategic Art Plan calls for two median sculptures, two gateway monuments, artistic upgrades to five concrete benches, a decorative crosswalk and an LGBTQ+-themed artwork outside the North Branch Library. The council adopted the plan in December 2025, and Phase I is funded by $450,000 from the John Parsons Public Art Fund, according to the city's administrative report. An additional $35,000 was allocated for the LGBTQ+ installation.

The selection process drew 192 submissions. A community panel narrowed the field, and the Redondo Beach Cultural Arts Commission endorsed the finalists unanimously on Sept. 23, according to the administrative report.

Residents push back

Mickey Johnson, speaking for the North Redondo Beach Business Association, welcomed the beautification effort but questioned spending priorities. Johnson cited a city survey of 171 respondents in which nearly 68 percent preferred functional artwork such as benches, Patch reported. Johnson argued the city was directing too much funding toward median sculptures rather than amenities that would draw people to linger along the boulevard.

Johnson also expressed disappointment that local artists whose mosaics already appear elsewhere in Redondo Beach had not advanced to the proposal stage for the benches.

Grace Payne, another resident, raised safety concerns about placing sculptures in a busy roadway median, arguing they could distract drivers while giving pedestrians little chance to appreciate the work. Payne urged the city to focus on sidewalk or gathering-space installations instead, according to Patch.

Council members acknowledged the objections but said the locations and funding had already been locked in with the December 2025 plan approval. The Oct. 20 vote concerned which artists move forward, not whether to revisit the overall strategy.

LGBTQ+ installation draws support

Betty Leinen, a South Bay LGBTQ Center board member and professor of LGBTQIA+ studies, spoke in favor of the planned LGBTQ+ artwork near the North Branch Library. Leinen pointed to Redondo Beach's history as a gathering place for LGBTQ+ residents, citing the Artesia Bar, the center's early presence on the boulevard and the city's role hosting the South Bay's first Pride Festival in 1991, according to Patch.

Leinen urged officials to involve local LGBTQ+ residents and organizations in reviewing designs and to hold a public dedication when the piece is unveiled.

Councilmember Zein Obagi Jr. echoed that call, saying community feedback should shape the final design.

What comes next

The city expects to issue its request for proposals in late October or early November. Artists who submit concepts but are not selected will receive a $500 stipend, according to the staff report.

A separate Oct. 20 agenda item added $7,500 in consulting services for the LGBTQ+ installation, raising the consulting contract ceiling to $52,500. The plan originally targeted summer 2027 for initial installations, but a proposed consulting amendment would extend the agreement through March 31, 2028, to accommodate the expanded schedule.

Final designs still face review by the community panel, the Cultural Arts Commission and the City Council before any artwork is commissioned.