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About this Sculpture
What’s in a title? A stele is an upright slab or stone with an inscribed or sculpted surface, often used as a commemorative piece. Meridian means midday. Stele Meridian may relate to O’Hanlon’s 18-foot, 16-ton work, Sunstones II, sited facing West behind Lawrence Hall of Science. It is a functioning astronomical tool that measures the setting sun of the solstices, among other things. Here note the tiny slits on Stele Meridian, though it does not serve an astronomical function.
About the Artist
Born in 1906, O’Hanlon began his career as an apprentice to Diego Rivera and worked with him on the frescoes at the San Francisco Art Institute. O’Hanlon turned to sculpture in 1933. He was a professor of sculpture at UC-Berkeley.
In 1942 Richard and his wife, Ann, who founded the art department at Dominican College, began converting an old Mill Valley farmhouse into living and studio space. Soon artists and students began to gather there to share the creative spirit of both art and nature. In 1969, the O’Hanlons converted their property into the O’Hanlon Center for the Arts. Richard O’Hanlon died in Mill Valley in 1985, and Ann in 1998. Stele Meridian is on long term loan to the City of Walnut Creek.
Location: Civic Park near Downtown Walnut Creek Public Library at 1644 North Broadway, Walnut Creek, CA.
Image Credit: Stele Meridian, granite, 1980. Photo courtesy of Shaun Roberts.