Florence Avenue

If you could take just one photo: Florence Avenue

Saunter along Florence Avenue in the funky little town of Sebastopol in Northern California and take in a unique outdoor art gallery. Sculptor-in-residence Patrick Amiot has sprinkled the front lawns of this residential street with his colorful, oversize works of art made of scrap metal and recycled parts—wheels, wrenches, scissors. They’re all so playful and fun, it’s hard to pick a favorite: a grinning Cheshire cat, a New York Yankees pitcher, a mermaid, a farmer with a cow in his pickup truck. Gawking at people’s front lawns feels odd at first, but then you realize that’s the whole point.

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As you cruise into Sebastopol, CA, on Highway 12, keep your eyes peeled for several large sculptures on the way (a cow, a BIG dog, a fishing boat). Missed them? That's OK-- park on Florence Ave., a few blocks from the charming, old-fashioned downtown, and begin your urban sculpture walk. As you stroll, you'll marvel/laugh out loud at Patrick Amiot's whimsical, larger-than-life pieces which appear in many of the front yards. A closer look reveals the recycled elements from junk yards-- old clocks, tires, red wagons, vacuum cleaners-- all brightly painted by Amiot's wife, Brigitte Laurent, that have become clever reincarnations of Batman, a gorgeous mermaid, and the Mad Hatter & March Hare, among others. After you've delighted in the neighborhood's sense of humor and community spirit, why not stop by the city's Visitor Center, pick up a map of Amiot's100+ sculptures that grace Sonoma County, and search for more? Been on a scavenger hunt lately? Here's the perfect excuse for one, as you roam the apple orchard-lined country roads!

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First-time visitors to the free-spirited Sonoma County haven of Sebastopol do more than their share of double-takes — especially if they happen to turn onto Florence Avenue, a couple of blocks off Main Street. That’s where French-Canadian transplant Patrick Amiot and his wife, Brigitte Laurent, have graced their neighbors’ front yards with a one-of-a-kind assortment of funky, whimsical pop-art sculptures constructed from salvaged ... well, you name it. In one yard, a skeleton rides a chopper. In another, a redheaded mermaid strums a harp. A grinning Mad Hatter stands atop a teapot. A paunchy Batman boasts a toaster and a grease gun on his tool belt. It’s a phantasmagorical vision of small-town U.S.A.

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