Urban Trees 6: "Metamorphosis."

^{Photo by David Batterson}

There's no bark on these “trees,” and dogs won't be fertilizing them. Urban Trees 6 is this year's planting of marvelous sculptures downtown along Harbor Drive, from the Cruise Ship Terminal to Hawthorn Street. They'll be there for a year, and nary a leaf will fall.

The public art project began in 2003, and here's how it works. Artists submit a model of their urban tree idea, and the Port of San Diego's public art committee narrows it down to 30 finalists. From those little acorns, great oaks then grow. Each artist gets a base and pole (the tree “trunk”) and $2,500 for materials (whatever the artist wants to use).

It's interesting while walking along to see how others view the trees. Some stroll or jog by and give a long look at the sculptures, often stopping for a close-up. Others, who apparently have seen them often, hardly give a peripheral glance. Some people point at certain features while others are gazing at ships in the harbor and don't seem to notice the sculptures much.

If you are expecting a common theme, don't! Many are a “stranger in a strange land” and are quite proud of that. There are no giant squids-on-a-stick, no seagulls soaring on top of a cloud, or a plastic Popeye being forced to walk the plank by Bluto. You'd see that type of stuff if Universal Studios were running the art project.

No, you'd just as likely to see similar sculptures at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego or outside a movie mogul's Malibu mansion. While each artist has a plaque with his/her name and the work's title, there's more going on in these works than meets the eye. It's not requisite to know the artist's vision, but it does help. For a description of each sculpture, surf to: Urban Trees.

"Bats in Your BellTree."

^{Photo by David Batterson}

“Metamorphosis” by Laguna Beach artist Mike Tauber from a distance may look like colorful ceramic tiles arranged in a diptych mural. But with a closer look, his tiles show transmogrification of oranges into Garibaldi fish in one panel, and ruby-throated humming birds in the other. In his media statement, Tauber says, “We too can take small steps to change our lives. The more we embrace change — the better our lives will be.”

“Perpetual Motion” by David Boyer of Reno, Nevada, is an example of his many wind-driven kinetic sculptures. It uses stainless steel paddle wheels, tubing and hollow steel hemispheres for a retro look.

For whimsical enjoyment, don't miss “Bats in Your Bell Tree” by Jim Trask. He used old baseball bats from a garage sale and colorful bells to riff on “bats in your belfry.” With a good wind, you can even hear mild ringing sounds.

The stupendous sculpture show is free. And all artworks are available for sale at exhibit's end. Many Urban Trees from past exhibits have been acquired for corporate and community settings, and by private collectors. For sales information, call the Port's Public Art Department at 619-686-7246.

For the interactive map, go to: Urban Trees 6.