Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/306537
New Canner y Row Monument Honor s Past and Present SHORTCUTS ART J ohn Steinbeck's "Cannery Row" immortalized Monterey's sardine industry days on paper. Now, a new waterfront monument, commis- sioned and installed by the Cannery Row Company, depicts in bronze personalities of Steinbeck's time whose real lives provided literary inspi- ration, and the four friends who later revitalized the waterfront district. The 17-foot monument in Steinbeck Plaza at Cannery Row and Pre- scott Street features nine bronze figures honoring the many different immigrants and characters active in the com- munity when Steinbeck wrote his popular novel. The author sits atop the monument, near a sculpture of noted marine biologist Ed Ricketts and another inspired by community caretaker Flora Woods. Four boys sitting in a group are modeled after Ted Balestreri, George Zarounian, Harry Davidian and Bert Cutino, the team that revamped the district after the fish- ing industry's decline. Balestreri, Cannery Row Company founding and general managing partner, sees the monu- ment as a way to honor those who helped build Cannery Row, from Steinbeck himself to the busi- ness partners and others involved along the way. "This was a labor of love," he says. "It's taken years to get Cannery Row where it is today, and it's still a work in progress." Carmel sculptor Steven Whyte first started sketching monument ideas after a conversation with Balestreri in the artist's former Cannery Row studio. Whyte crafted clay models during the planning process and began working on life- sized sculptures early last year. Inspiration for each figure came from family photos, historic images and research into the district's rich past. "We wanted people to get a feel for what influenced Steinbeck as he was writing the book," says Whyte, who depicted the author at the age he was when he penned "Cannery Row." As the monument highlights the ties between past and present, Balestreri hopes it also inspires those who visit. "I want people to know that change is good," he says. "History is very, very important, but history is also made each day. The way we live today will be the history of tomorrow." —Renee Brincks 50 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 Cannery Row businessman Ted Balestreri in front of his new bronze monument honoring author John Steinbeck, biologist Ed Ricketts, Balestreri and others. Photo: Kelli Uldall 044-70 Shortcuts_SU05 Carmel Magazine 4/25/14 4:23 PM Page 3