Art Town: Skinny Grove

Last time we wrote an Art Town blog, we went to The Orchards for some neat, interactive weather vane-type sculptures. Well, we’re right back at The Orchards again today for this piece: Skinny Grove by Cork Marcheschi.

The sculpture is mesmerizing, especially at night. It was created in 2016 out of aluminum and LED lights. It pays homage to a 500-acre fruit and nut orchard that used to stand at that exact corner of Walnut Creek for almost 100 years!

Marcheschi, the San Francisco-based artist says he only changes one thing when he works: the gradual shift in intensity of light. It’s pretty cool to see the differences between each individual sculpture up close, and especially so once the sun goes down and the lights come on. Marcheschi has works across the country, as well as in Europe and Asia.

At Oak Grove Blvd & Ygnacio Valley Road in the Shadelands Business Park. Safeway is finally building on their lot that has sat empty for so long – the last of what was once real orchards. Safeway’s new store will replace its smaller Encina Grande location across the street, where Whole Foods will move in.

The Orchards will include a Stein Mart, Crunch Fitness & Petco along with specialty shops, restaurants, 200 units of senior housing, green space, play area and jogging trails. This area has been languishing from a business perspective and the city has been trying to figure out how to reinvigorate it to be more like a Bishop Ranch. The problem is the commute – there is no easy access from Bart, thus people have to drive so many of the business once housed in the Shadelands have moved.

Hall Equities Group will be transforming the building Contra Costa Times occupied in a Recreational Sports Facility and will become the regional go to place for youth basketball, soccer, lacrosse, etc. – this is sorely needed in our area as field space is a premium – now parents will be able to drop off the kids to warm up and walk over to grab a coffee or do their shopping. It will be interesting to see if it attracts actual business vs. retail.

~Kristin

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beate.” G. K. Chesterton