Garden City’s ‘Circle of Fun’

When Kevin Ocker, chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Cultural and Recreational Affairs, spotted "Circle of Fun" it seemed like a perfect accompaniment to top off the $1.7 million investment made to Community Park. 

He was looking for something decorative that would convey a sense of fun. The type of unadulterated fun only a park could exude. In the case of Community Park, with its wide open spaces, colorful playground equipment, pool, fields and endless possibilities - "Circle of Fun" fit the bill.

Ocker purposely shied away from artwork that focused on any one particular sport.  

"I had seen many sculptures that focused on activities like soccer, golf or basketball," said Ocker. "I persisted until I found something that had more of a general parks feel to it. I immediately was drawn to 'Circle of Fun' because of the feeling it gave me. Children just frolicking and enjoying themselves."

He was attending a National Recreation & Park Association Conference where he met Randolph Rose, the vendor who created the sculpture. Ocker first saw Rose's work in Rockville Centre at The Dean G. Skelos Sports Complex.

The Randolph Rose Collection is a family owned and operated company that features handmade bronze sculptures and accessories for homes, gardens and public spaces. The company specializes in bronze casting and the lost wax process, which has been used for thousands of years. 

This labor intensive process takes several weeks from start to finish. Artisans follow a multitude of steps, including creating molds and hand-finishing procedures. Bronze is an alloy; it is a mixture of copper and small amounts of tin, zinc and silicon. Each sculpture features variation in color. The patinas are hand applied to enhance the beauty and bring out the uniqueness of each piece of art.

"Circle of Friends," the limited-edition bronze sculpture by Rose, depicts three life-size children playing on a circle. The figures are nearly five feet tall. The circle the children are playing on is approximately six feet in diameter. The sculpture has been installed in a raised circular planter for a measurement of approximately seven feet high. The planter has been beautifully landscaped with different greens and shades of red.

The original price of the sculpture was $17,000 but an informal commitment at the conference reduced the price to $11,000. Ocker set out to raise funds and ultimately 75 percent of the costs were offset by donations pledged by many local sports groups. Incidentally, the entire renovation ran under budget.

Generous donations were made by The Garden City Centennial Soccer Club, Garden City Athletic Association, Garden City Rams Girls Lacrosse, Garden City Rams Boys Lacrosse, Jay Gallagher Tournament, Garden City Basketball, The Watras Family, The Worstell Family and The Ridgway Family. A bronze plaque acknowledges these donations.

Ocker's vision for this finishing touch has been realized. The sculpture serves as the epicenter of the Clubhouse Plaza. The strikingly realistic children balancing between the blades of leaves seem to be playing hide-and-seek, reminiscent of good old summertime fun.