"The art of Michael Amescua  is included in the collections at UCLA and have been displayed in galleries from Cubato the Rincon Indian Reservation near San Diego. But the work of the 65-year-old artist can also be seen outside the pristine confines of gallery spaces. A walk or bike ride down the pathways along Los Angeles River reveal impressive gates that reflect Amescua’s skills as an artist and metalworker.

One of his gates was recently installed along an entrance to Los Angeles River path near Riverside Drive in Elysian Valley. The new Elysian Valley gate joins another Amescua gateway – Guardians of the River Gate – that rises off Los Feliz Boulevard in Atwater Village. Amescua, an Occidental College grad who works out of a studio in Pasadena, has also created gateways for the Audubon Center at Debs Park.

The steel cutter draws inspiration for the river gates from cave paintings in pre-historic Europe. The wildlife and plants of the L.A. River – Egrets, ducks, turtles, butterflies and reeds – also influence and are represented in the gates. “It’s the river. You can’t put a Cadillac up there,” said Amescua, who walks along the Frogtown portion of the river in spurts, going two to three times per month, then taking a break.

After drawing the designs for the gates, the images are chalked on to steel to facilitate the back-and-forth revisions that often arise out of public commissions. While creating the gate in Elysian Valley, for example, officials asked Amescua to turn a solid mountain into an outline because it blocked the view.

With public art, the sculptor’s pieces also have to comply with the municipal code. Changing the shape of the mountain weakened the gate’s structure. To meet strength requirements, the crew reinforced the image with a screen. He said the rules also banned holes with a diameter of four inches or more below the height of three feet to prevent small children from trapping their heads in the gate. Laws also prevent the use of oil-based paint because of environmental concerns." https://www.theeastsiderla.com

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"Passengers are greeted at Allen Station, situated along the 210 Freeway median, by Michael Amescua’s dramatic grillwork adorning the street-level entrance. Amescua’s series of steel panels, created in the tradition of papel picado, or punched paper, are painted a deep forest green with brushed stainless steel and red enamel accents, and forms a relief against a golden ceramic tile wall.

Papel picado is a folk art that can be traced back to pre-Columbian times, when Mexicans used cutout bark paper depicting a variety of human and animal spirits as offerings to the gods, as a tribute to the Aztec emperor, Moctezuma II, and as decoration in their temples and palaces." http://www.flickr.com

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"Today in my GRCOM 132A class we had a guest speaker come and visit from 10am-12pm. His name is Michael Amescua and he does welding. You'll find that most of his work is public art, some of which include a fence at the LA Zoo and, one of my favorites, the art work at the Allen Station on the Metro Goldline. His presentation was interesting and humorous and he seemed like a really nice guy. (I chatted with him after about him mentioning that he did the Allen station work with Eaton Canyon in mind. I used to volunteer there and find that very cool.)

   Some of the advanced students in Pilon's class did some posters for the event and I managed to snag one and get his autograph. -does a dance-" - Kiri

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"Passengers are greeted at Allen Station, situated along the 210 Freeway median, by Michael Amescua’s dramatic grillwork adorning the street-level entrance.  Amescua’s series of steel panels, created in the tradition of papel picado, or punched paper, are painted a deep forest green with brushed stainless steel and red enamel accents, and forms a relief against a golden ceramic tile wall.  Papel picado is a folk art that can be traced back to pre-Columbian times, when Mexicans used cutout bark paper depicting a variety of human and animal spirits as offerings to the gods, as a tribute to the Aztec emperor, Moctezuma II, and as decoration in their temples and palaces.

Amescua’s panels depict a family of figures and a dog in a mystical romp through the region’s rich flora and fauna—an idyllic background scene that includes a sun and moon, stars that morph into birds, palm and pine trees, mountains and arroyo, river boulders, and rail tracks.  These images mimic the surroundings that can be viewed from the station platform above.  Another panel of cutout flowers demarcates a corner alcove above the entrance stairway.

On the platform level, a 10-foot tall stainless steel “Sun Marker” fashioned in the same cutout tradition hovers over passengers, casting shadows on the gold slate pavement below while heralding the summer and winter equinox.  The early Mesoamericans were said to have used a solar-lunar calendar, and the sun marker was an important tool in determining the movements of the sun and the cycles of the moon." - https://www.metro.net (CC license does not apply)

“In this station we combined the ideology and sensibility of the indigenous peoples with modern and technological design.  The result is a warm, community oriented space where people can gather not only to ride, but to enjoy waiting.” - Michael Amescua

"Located in northern San Fernando Valley, the Chatsworth Courthouse of the Los Angeles Superior Court opened in May 2002. Michael Amescua is one of two artists who created civic art pilot projects for the site.

Amescua's majestic Tree of Life is a twenty-foot tall stainles steel sculpture situated on the exterior of the courthouse where it is enjoyed by passersby as well as by jurors in the jury assembly room.      

Tree of Life is comprised of ten large decorative medallions which radiate in four directions from a central post; each medallion depicts familiar California flora such as oak, palm and bird of paradise. The intricacy of Amescua's design lends the sculpture an almost kinetic quality as sunlight and shadows pierce through the open work of the steel. " - http://www.lacountyarts.org (Archive of article)

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"Located in northern San Fernando Valley, the Chatsworth Courthouse of the Los Angeles Superior Court opened in May 2002. Michael Amescua is one of two artists who created civic art pilot projects for the site.

Amescua’s majestic Tree of Life is a twenty-foot tall stainless steel sculpture situated on the exterior of the courthouse where it is enjoyed by passersby as well as by jurors in the jury" - http://www.publicartarchive.org

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"Much of the 51 miles of river looks like something out of a “Transformers” chase scene.  That’s because Hollywood production companies frequently shoot the concrete stretches, making the river famous for all the wrong reasons. That’s fine for Hollywood, not great for us. To get some carp action, try this easy day trip.

First, park your car in the municipal lot adjacent to the golf course in Atwater Village. Then, set your sights on the Los Feliz Café, 3207 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039, (323) 661-2355, for good eats. You might want to save this until after fishing, but to legally use the lot, you gotta snack. You could also bring your clubs for a quick nine after fishing. Surf ‘n’ turf.

Two, walk west with rod in hand, a 7 wt. or above, loaded with 3x leader, attached to a glow bug. This is one of only a few access points you’ll find elaborately marked. Walk through artist Michael Amescua’s Guardians of the River gate, and you’re here. To your left is the Tropico Bridge, opened in 1925. Across the water, you’ll see the end of Griffith Park, along with the buzzing I-5 freeway. To your right, time to fish.

Three, walk along the bike path and look for carp. It’s much easier if you can spot them, then to blind cast. Believe me, there are hundreds and hundreds in the water. Note about water: it’s reclaimed upstream. Hook carp. Hear reel whizz hopefully into backing. Repeat.

Four, send me pictures of your adventure and I’ll post them. Tell friends. Go often. Remember, it’s yours.

See you on the river, Jim Burns." - http://lariverflyfishing.com

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"Michael Amescua, Gate at the Los Angeles River on Los Feliz Blvd in Atwater. 3225 Los Feliz Blvd.  It is on the same side of the street as the Golf course. Park on Glenfeliz or some other side street. Walk on Los Feliz Blvd toward the river on the Golf course side of the street, past the golf parking lot.  Bang there it is on your right. You have to look for the dirt path and there it sits in all it's glory." http://www.lariverannex.com (Archive of the Article)

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"Michael Amescua is widely recognized sculptor who has received dozens of major public art commissions.  At the heart of his imagery is his background in Anthropology and participation in the Chicano Art Movement. Normally working in two or three-dimensional sculpture, Amescua prefers metalwork as his medium.  Amescua approaches each project from design to fabrication as creating new artwork." - http://www.thecollectionrp.com 

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"This project showcases the people and artists of The Collection at Riverpark in Oxnard, California. Located at the intersection of U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1 (Pacific Coast Highway), The Collection at Riverpark is Ventura County's premeire mixed retail, entertainment, recreation and residential destination. I was commissioned by the developer to document 14 public art installations with my signature still/motion style." - http://www.dreamlogan.com

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"If you’re heading down to tonight’s Willow Gulch tour, you might see this gate as you exit the L.A. River Bike Path, aka the Lario Trail, near Wardlow Road in Long Beach.

There are quite a few great artistic gates along Southern California Waterways. Today’s post features an L.A. River gate that I think is the furthest downstream. It’s located in Long Beach, just west of the intersection of 34th Street and De Forest Avenue, less than a mile walk due west of the Wardlow Metro Blue Line Station. The gate is at the north/upstream end of the Wrigley Greenbelt, a medium-sized linear river park that runs along the river from Willow Road to Wardlow Road.

The gate was dedicated on May 3rd 2007 at the Los Angeles County Public Works’ Earth Day event. The event was presided over by County Supervisor Don Knabe and then Long Beach City Councilmember Tonia Reyes Uranga, and included native tree and shrub planting by Jordan High School Students. The native plantings have established themselves well. At a recent (April 2011) visit to the site, native California sunflower and other shrubs were in full bloom." - http://lacreekfreak.wordpress.com

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These are plasma cut out of plate steel. Designs vary, painted, limited editions.

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