SmokeSax Sculpture Issue

The SmokeSax Issue:

Fonde Park is a cherished public green space serving not only the immediate neighborhoods of Super Neighborhood 69 but also families, youth sports teams, and recreational users from surrounding areas. Recognizing the park’s importance and the need to ensure its stewardship reflects the community’s vision, Fonde Civic Club President Karina Yonekawa-Blest issued a call in May 2024 to establish a dedicated nonprofit organization. This initiative led to the creation of Friends of Fonde Park, a 501(c)(3) organization designed to provide focused leadership and advocacy for the park while safeguarding it from outside interests that may not align with the community’s desires or the park’s founding vision by Corinne Fonde.

Together, Friends of Fonde Park and the Fonde Civic Club collaborate to maintain Fonde Park as a public, inclusive space. This partnership became particularly important with the recent proposal of the SmokeSax public art installation by the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, which raised concerns regarding traffic, parking, and community consent. By working together, the organizations ensure that all stakeholders—both within Fonde and from neighboring communities—have a voice in decisions affecting the park’s use, preservation, and future.

You can learn more about the SmokeSax issue here:

https://www.fondecivicclub.org/friends-of-fonde-park/smokesax