News & Features
From the Idyllwild Town Crier weekly newspaper, 07.29.10 edition.

LaBenne to carve new monument?

By Marshall Smith, Staff Reporter

Preliminary talks are underway with Jonathan LaBenne, carver of Idyllwild’s original Tree Monument, to erect a new monument on the Village Center Drive site of his former iconic work.

Those involved in exploratory talks, Mike Pearson and Josh and Emily White, are pursuing a LaBenne option over frustration with carver David Roy’s failure to complete his contract on or by any fixed date. Further, Roy has often stated preference to keep his art at or near its current location.

The contract between Roy and the Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce was signed in May 2007 and the expected completed monument was due Oct. 31, 2007. Now nearly three years later, the community patiently awaits the new Tree Monument.

Frustrated, Pearson, a longtime steward of the original Tree Monument, and the Whites, its host, hope to bring LaBenne back to Idyllwild to create a new monument if current talks lead to agreement.

LaBenne is talking of designing a similar but taller monument than his original, one that might establish a Guinness World Record. LaBenne stated in 2007 that he was disappointed not to have been included in the competition that eventually selected Roy to replace LaBenne’s work and said at the time that he would have created the piece for expenses only, assuming a proper tree could be found.

“Jonathan is working on design and coming up with a [cost] number,” said Emily White, on whose property the previous monument sat.

“We’d love to have a tree monument again. It would be awesome. The ball is in
Jonathan’s court.”

Of issue other than cost, would be finding an appropriate cedar tree, something Josh Whitney and some others are looking into, according to Pearson.

Pearson expressed some doubt Roy’s carving would survive a move from its present location given the delicacy of its carving elements. “This has nothing to do with the quality of David’s work,” stressed Pearson, who, like many in town, admires what Roy has created to date.

The motivation is restoration of a Tree Monument in the village center. Roy will give only approximate completion dates. When his carving is finished, moving it will be a very delicate problem. Roy sidesteps this concern by maintaining his art needs to be placed permanently in a partially shaded location, such as its present location. The village center site has no shade.

Roy’s inablity to complete his work has created polar views. Some maintain an artist should not be held to schedules or contracts while others argue that he is using the partially completed monument, for which he has been paid $11,000, a majority of funds due, to market his personal carvings and sell t-shirts.

Pearson has also talked to the Chamber, titular and contractual owner of the Roy monument. Nearly $9,000 remains in the Tree Monument account, money that could possibly be used toward funding a new monument. The Chamber board must consider what to do with the Roy monument, the lapsed contract with Roy, Chamber ownership of Roy’s work and what rights they have to take possession or force completion of it, and what value Roy’s monument might have in funding a new monument.

LaBenne is prepared to complete a monument within a short time period, assuming details of contract price, obtaining a tree, and sufficient community support for his endeavor exists.

Pearson is requesting that residents supply their thoughts and feedback about the potential of this project to the Whites and to the Chamber. He explained that the impetus for this step at this time is to help ensure that Idyllwild gets a completed monument, on a fixed and dependable delivery schedule, at the original site for which the art was commissioned.

Marshall Smith can be reached at marshall@towncrier.com.
 

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