Jean Sweeney Park's Rockspinners Face Commission Vote

Alameda's Public Art Commission meets Monday, September 21 at 6 p.m. to decide whether to retrofit or decommission the two Rockspinner boulder sculptures at Jean Sweeney Open Space Park. The city hasn't said publicly why the change is on the table.

• Where: Jean Sweeney Open Space Park, between the restrooms and the zipline (Ghost) and along the pedestrian path (Oumuamua).
• When: The commission votes Monday, September 21 at 6 p.m. at Alameda City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Ave., Conference Room 360.
• What's at stake: Staff is recommending the commission either retrofit or fully decommission both sculptures, according to the published agenda.
• Who decided to install them: The Public Art Commission picked artist Zachary Coffin's design in 2018 after a competitive request for proposals.
• What happens next: No staff report or reasoning has been posted publicly yet. The Pulse will follow up once the agenda packet is released.

What are the Rockspinners at Jean Sweeney Park?

They're two multi-ton granite boulders, named Ghost and Oumuamua, engineered to spin easily and silently on a steel base with a single push. Alameda-based artist Zachary Coffin installed them in August 2022, paid for mostly through the city's Public Art Fund, with the Alameda Recreation and Parks Department covering costs tied to Americans with Disabilities Act access. At the time, then-parks director Amy Wooldridge said the sculptures were "bringing people together to play, marvel and for many adults, to re-discover" simple pleasure, and Public Art Commission chair Adam Gillitt called them "a delightful synthesis of art, science, engineering."

Why would the city retrofit or remove them now?

That's the question the meeting agenda doesn't answer yet. The item is listed as a regular agenda item, File #2026-6298, but the staff report explaining the recommendation wasn't attached when the agenda posted. It's possible the boulders need mechanical repairs after three years of steady public spinning, or there could be a safety or maintenance issue the city hasn't detailed. Residents who want the full explanation will need to wait for the staff report or show up Monday.

What this means for Alameda

The Rockspinners have been one of the more playful additions to Jean Sweeney Open Space Park since it opened, the kind of public art you can actually touch and move rather than just look at. If the commission votes to decommission either sculpture, it would be the first Alameda public art piece removed since the park's spinning boulders went in three years ago. The vote is scheduled for Monday, September 21, and the Pulse will report back on what the commission decides and why.