Neighbors rally as Reagan statue in Balboa Island home patio of its sculptor is defaced

The vandalism last weekend of a sculpture of Republican Party icon Ronald Reagan that’s long greeted passersby of artist Miriam Baker’s home on Balboa Island’s South Bayfront has generated outcry from her neighbors and friends.

Baker first learned of the incident from her nephew, who at about 9 a.m. Sunday discovered the artwork, which stands next to some potted geraniums on her front patio, had been defaced by someone using what appeared to have been foam insulation.

“It’s incomprehensible that there is a person that nasty around that would do it out of meanness and small mindedness,” said Baker, who added she didn’t think the vandalism was done for political reasons.

“I think it was one person, not kids, who came prepared with the intent to deface art,” she said.

Baker is a respected sculptor whose work can be found in collections in the National Portrait Gallery, Stanford University, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and other institutions across the country. Her studio encompasses the lower level of her two-story home, and much of her work can be seen through its front window.

Baker explained that the sculpture of the waving former president that stands on her front patio was created from the same mold as the original she was commissioned to create in 2011 in honor of Reagan’s centennial birthday. That civic project cost about $30,000 for the materials and foundry; Baker received about $50,000, which was raised through private donations. The original was placed in Bonita Canyon Sports Park and was relocated to Civic Center Park in 2017.

After word of the weekend’s act of vandalism spread, neighbors came together to offer support and assistance with the cleanup to the Baker family. On the Nextdoor social media site the report of the incident generated 400 comments expressing sadness, anger and compassion about the expense and ordeal that the artist had to experience restoring it. Most people who posted comments said they thought kids were behind the vandalism while some brought up the possibility it was a political comment.

“I think that there’s been some vandalism in and around the island and sometimes it’s been kids just being mischievous,” said neighbor Lee Pearl. “ Recently we had a couple of kids go into a nearby house under construction and sprayed the interior with spray paint.”

Gwen Cruttenden was walking with a friend from out of town when she saw the damage to the statue. “I always like to show the sculptures that my neighbor created,” Cruttenden said. “I was shocked. Here is her work that took her a long time to do and is pretty uncool to destroy someone’s art piece on their own property.”

Balboa Island resident Suzana Williams was decried the incident “I think this occurrence boils down to one thing, respect. Respect for our neighbor’s property, respect for our beautiful island and this wonderful place we live. This defamation just shows utter lack of common decency.”

The artist herself said she has no idea who might have been behind defacing the sculpture.

“It’s really weird, the statue has been there a long time, 11 years without a problem,” Baker said. “They must have used a whole can [of foam, because] it was sprayed all over. There’s nothing that dissolves it, I had our handyman physically chisel it off, and he still has to come back to remove the sand on top.”