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    One of the two new “Homeward Leaping” stainless steel sculptures designed and created during the past year by James Hildebrandt, of the Arcata Playhouse, stands at Eighth and L streets in front of the Creamery Building, where the Arcata Playhouse is housed.
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    A view looking up from near the base of one of the two new “Homeward Leaping” stainless steel sculptures that evoke the coastal cutthroat trout and ecosystem of Jolly Giant Greek on the L Street Bike Path between Eighth and Ninth streets. They were designed and created during the past year by James Hildebrandt.
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    The cutthroat trout in this “Homeward Leaping” stainless-steel sculpture are silhouetted against the morning sun on the L Street Bike Path.
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    Another view of the new “Homeward Leaping” stainless steel sculptures.
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    James Hildebrandt paused for a photo while making final installation touches.
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    The new mural featuring the diverse plants and wildlife in Jolly Giant Creek is on the fence along the L Street Bike Path south of Eighth Street.
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    Seventy new 2-by-2-foot paintings make up the mural. Local grade school students from Fieldbrook Elementary and Redwood Coast Montessori were part of a project organized by the Playhouse Education team of Sarah McKinney, Mackenzie Ridgewood and Haley Davis. They worked with students via Zoom this past year.
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    Sarah McKinney of the Playhouse Education team passed out bags of free popcorn to attendees at the event.
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    Local band Bandemonium provided music at the beginning of the unveiling event.
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    Local band Bandemonium opened the unveiling, including an original piece of music written by band leader Gregg Moore.
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    The camera inadvertently caught Shoshanna Rose in mid-twirl with one of the new “Homeward Leaping” sculptures appearing as if it were part of her dance costume.
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    Arcata Playhouse Executive Director Jacqueline Dandeneau led attendees in a closed-eyes imagining of a large-scale, expensive unveiling of the “Homeward Leaping” sculptures (which, because of their size, could not be draped for an unveiling). Sculptor James Hildebrandt stands to her left.
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    Sculptor James Hildebrandt introduced himself and the backstory of his “Homeward Leaping” stainless steel sculptures that evoke the coastal cutthroat trout and ecosystem of Jolly Giant Greek.
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    Seven of the 70 grade school children who contributed paintings to the mural were present on the red carpet to await the unveiling of the mural.
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    As the 72-foot mural was unveiled, the seven young painters who contributed their work to the mural quickly looked to find their own artwork.
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    After the unveiling, these two young painters proudly pointed out their contributions to the new mural.