Amid thundering pounding and searing heat, a casual conversation with Mt. Forge artist Toni Standteinerreveals the metals that will be used to create the Maestro for Pleasanton’s Don Lewis Harmonic Symphony public art. Silicon bronze, 304 stainless steel, 680 copper, and rivets salvaged from the dismantled eastern span of the Bay Bridge will combine in a mixed-metal abstract honoring musician Don Lewis.

Toni has just completed and installed Way Finding at DEWBEYÚMUWEɁ Park. The final symbol, Ɂ, is a glottal stop from the Washoe language, indicating a brief spoken pause and preserving the park’s name with its correct Indigenous pronunciation and meaning.

Standteiner’s relaxed genius and engaging conversation reveal both his studied knowledge of the accomplished Don Lewis’s musical legacy and his commitment to breathing life into his public art.