Two sculptures were installed on the corners of Park and 12th streets for 18 months
PASO ROBLES — You may have noticed some new additions to Downtown Paso Robles — two art installments were added to the corners of 12th and Park streets. Created by local artist Dale Evers, the Focus IV (The Focus) and The Wings of Legend guitar sculptures were officially unveiled on Friday, Nov. 22.
The two sculptures, referred to as the Rejon Begin Memorial Exhibit, are installed in memory of Evers’ good friend who passed away a few years ago. They will be installed downtown for the next 18 months.
Paso Robles City Community Development Director Warren Frace addressed the crowd of family and friends who gathered for the unveiling: “[I] wanted to congratulate Dale on this excellent art installation. Dale came to the city with this idea. This is funded by Dale personally, [he wanted] to bring art art to the public.”
Frace explained that pedestals were created for the sculptures to be displayed and can be changed out to showcase different installations or expanded.
“Public art was recognized by the City Council as really a goal, trying to get it out to the public, enhance the downtown,” he added. “There’s so many levels and benefits of public art. We’re just so grateful that Dale took a leadership role in kinda, taking that first step to demonstrate what can be done in the downtown with public art.”
Evers has been creating art from his studio in Paso Robles on Park Street for 13 years. He created the archway for Norma’s Alley, which faces Pine Street between 12th and 13th streets, and was completed and installed in March 2021. The arch, which took over two years of designing and creating, welcomes visitors into the alleyway where Norma Moye’s office sits. Moye has been the executive director for Paso Robles Main Street Association for over 30 years.
At the unveiling on Nov. 22, Moye thanked Evers for his art, saying, “Public art is a reflection of how we see the world.”
The sculptures, which were installed in October, sit on pedestals made and donated by PRW Steel Supply — Paso Robles Welding (PRW). Begin was the former manager at PRW before his passing in March 2023.
“PRW has been a good friend to me and the people out there, and I thank you very much,” Evers said. “You guys are hard workers and we’re so lucky to have such a great steel company in Paso Robles.”
The Wings of Legend sculpture was originally created for the House of Blues in Las Vegas, where it resided for about 10 years. The sculpture is a Paul Reed Smith guitar tribute to Carlos Santana, which Evers adds was also inspired by”Lady of Guadalupe.”
“The Focus” is one of Evers most well-known sculptures.
“It’s overcoming adversity and getting to where we need to be,” Evers explains the sculpture is a human form that navigates from the heart and soul.
Among friends and family at the unveiling were representatives from the city, including City Councilmembers Steve Gregory and Sharon Roden.
“I’d like to say on behalf of the city of Paso Robles, I want to thank the City Council and our our community, [and thank you to] Dale Evers for what he’s doing for art. Art is how we view the world, and Dale’s helping bring that to us,” said Gregory.
Paso Robles Main Street Association President Jeffry Weisinger was also in attendance.
“We’re [Main Street] big supporters of the art community, from culinary artistry as a chef to physical artistry and,music and so forth,” Weisinger said. “We’re really hoping to see some more art installations in downtown Paso, specifically some murals we’d like to see added on. So this is our first step.”
Feature Image: (From left) Tim Anderson, Norma Moye, Dale Evers, and Warren Frace are shown at the unveiling of the Focus IV and The Wings of Legend guitar sculptures on Friday, Nov. 22. Photo by Mark Winkler
