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The 'Big Wave' Lights Up Santa Monica Again
Artist Tony DeLap's "Big Wave" sculpture restored and lit up (Photo courtesy the City of Santa Monica's Cultural Affairs Division)
It's considered the unofficial gateway to Santa Monica, and now artist Tony DeLap's sculpture "The Big Wave" has been restored, and is lighting up Wilshire Boulevard at Franklin Avenue.
DeLap worked with Exclusive Welding, Inc. and Rosa Lowinger & Associates after they were retained by the City of Santa Monica to restore the sculpture, which was installed in 1989. Since its installation, the piece suffered from deterioration, including rust and corrosion, and the failure of the original light system, Now, however, using LED lighting, the "Big Wave" is shining once again.
"The sculpture will be illuminated in the evening hours and is on a smart, astronomically-synced timer which will turn the lights on a half hour before sunset and off a half hour after sunrise year-round," explains the City of Santa Monica's Cultural Affairs Division.
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