After the unveiling of the nearly 40-foot-tall steel art sculpture, Beken, at the Seaplane Lagoon Park at Alameda Point (“A Beacon of Art Rises at Seaplane Lagoon Park,” Aug. 10), more art pieces have been raised around the city.

A second steel art piece at Alameda Point was unveiled earlier last week. The piece is called Alameda Afore. The piece was designed and fabricated by Rodrigo Nava. It was installed at the intersection of West Atlantic Avenue and Main Street. The piece is made of Cor-Ten weathering steel. The sculpture pays homage to Alameda’s naval history, according to a press release from the City of Alameda.

“This work was made possible through excellent collaborations between Trammell Crow Residential, the City of Alameda, Russ Nygaard PE, and Stacey Lindell of the Lindell Artist Agency, and my wife, Amanda Nava and family. A special thanks to Svendsen’s Marine and Michael Tosse who graciously provided storage and on-site support throughout the installation,” said Nava in a press release. “Everyone involved worked patiently and with good humor to navigate this complex installation during difficult pandemic conditions. We are very proud of the work and being a part of the Alameda community.”

The third art piece erected in the city are two Rockspinners installed at Jean Sweeney Open Space Park.

A Rockspinner is a multi-ton boulder, engineered to silently spin with a single push. The two sculptures, named Ghost and Oumuamua, were designed and installed by artist Zach Coffin. They were installed last week. Ghost and Oumuamua are situated between the restrooms and the zipline and adjacent to the pedestrian path, respectively.

“For over 20 years I have been taking large rocks and turning them into improbable playthings, a series I call Rockspinners. I am delighted to bring two of my latest to this lovely island I call home,” said Coffin in a press release. “The story behind the creation of Jean Sweeney Park is an inspiring one of not accepting the given narrative. I hope these works, Ghost and Oumuamua, inspire a re-thinking of gravity, friction and mass, as well as being unexpected and fun to play with.”

Coffin’s Rockspinners were selected by the Public Art Commission in 2018 following a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process and was funded primarily out of the Public Art Fund, with Alameda Recreation and Parks Department (ARPD) covering costs associated with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Beken was erected at the Seaplane Lagoon Park at Alameda Point. The highly visible landmark will serve to orient park-goers, as well as visitors and residents embarking and returning by ferry. It was designed by artist DeWitt Godfrey.