Three steel sculptures that light up from the inside are scheduled to arrive in Downtown City Park in November. They come from the same artists who made one of Sensorio's hillside exhibits, and the city's only cost is the electricity, about a dollar a night. Until now, seeing Sensorio's art meant driving to 4380 Highway 46 East and buying a ticket that starts at $65 for adults. Starting in November, a piece of it will stand between the Carnegie Library and 12th Street, and anyone can walk by after dinner downtown.
What Is Going Into the Banjo Planter
The piece is a donation. Sensorio owners Bobbi and Ken Hunter are giving it to the city as "A Gift of Light," according to the city staff report that went to the City Council. Here is what the report describes:
- The artists: HYBYCOZO, pronounced hib-e-co-zo, the collective of Serge Beaulieu and Yelena Filipchuk. Their stated goal is to bring light, art and community together at a highly visible entrance to downtown.
- The form: Three large steel sculptures of geometric shapes, lit from within and set on three concrete footings in the planter bed.
- The light: Static warm white or a single color, powered at 180 watts for 12 hours a night.
- The location: The banjo-shaped planter on the north side of the park. The San Luis Obispo Tribune places it on the stretch between the Carnegie Library and the park's 12th Street intersection.
- The signage: No more than two interpretive plaques, each 18 by 24 inches, with near-field communication that links visitors to Sensorio content.
If you've been to Sensorio, the style may look familiar. The Tribune described the sculptures as similar to HYBYCOZO's DIMENSIONS exhibit on the hillside, with geometric forms that throw patterns of light and shadow onto their surroundings.
How a Rejected Grant Turned Into a Gift
The project started as a request for public money, and it nearly ended when the grant was turned down. The staff report lays out the sequence:
- Early 2025: The city and Sensorio begin talking about public art in Downtown City Park, in line with the city's 5-Year Economic Development Strategic Plan.
- March 2025: The city submits a Letter of Intent to the Arts in California Parks grant program, asking for $70,000 for a "Paso Robles Downtown Public Art Placemaking Initiative."
- May 2025: The city learns the project was not selected for funding.
- July 2025: Sensorio offers to pay for the design, fabrication, installation and maintenance of the artwork as a gift.
- Fall 2025: Ryan Hopple of Sensorio and Stacie Jacob of Solterra Strategies present the three-sculpture proposal.
- December 8, 2025: The Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee endorses it.
- January 14, 2026: The City Council approves it unanimously after two public comments.
The city had asked the state for $70,000. What it got instead is a set of sculptures it doesn't have to commission, build, install or maintain.
The City's Share Is About a Dollar a Night
Under the approved plan, Sensorio pays for the commissioning, fabrication, installation, concrete footings, up to two interpretive signs, and maintenance for the full display period. The city pays for the power. At 180 watts for 12 hours, the sculptures use 2.16 kilowatt-hours a night, which the staff report estimates at $1 a night and $365 a year. The report calls that the city's only direct expense.
The display is set for three years, with a possible two-year extension after the city reviews it. If the extension goes through, the sculptures would be lit downtown for five years.
The Tribune's coverage of the January vote recorded thanks from the dais:
"I'd like to say thank you to Sensorio for this wonderful gift and continued partnership with our community," Councilmember Steve Gregory said.
The same article reported that Mayor John Hamon suggested looking into changing the color through the year to match the seasons. That was only a suggestion. The plan the council approved calls for static warm white or a single color.
The Spring Timeline Slipped to November
In January, a presentation at the council meeting put production in April or May 2026, and the Tribune noted that the installation date wasn't clear yet. The staff report estimated two to three months to fabricate the sculptures and two to three weeks to install them.
The newest update came in Sensorio's October 8 announcement, reported by Paso Robles Daily News. It says the Downtown City Park installation is scheduled to debut in November. Sensorio's own release, published by Travel Paso, says the piece "will connect the heart of Paso Robles to the 35-acre art park." No specific day or dedication event has been announced yet.
Where It Lands in the Downtown Holiday Calendar
A November debut puts the sculptures in the park just as downtown fills up for the holidays. These dates are already on the calendar:
- Friday, November 27: The free Annual Downtown Lighting Ceremony runs 5:30 to 7 p.m. at 800 12th St., with live music, speeches, candlelight caroling, coffee and cocoa, and special guests.
- Saturday, December 5: The free Downtown Christmas Light Parade runs 6 to 8 p.m.
- Saturday, December 12: The free Vine Street Christmas Victorian Showcase runs 6 to 9 p.m. on Vine Street between 8th and 21st Streets.
The ceremony listing doesn't mention the sculptures, so the two shouldn't be treated as one event. Still, if the installation goes in on schedule, the lighting ceremony crowd will gather at a park with three new lit pieces at its north end.
Out on Highway 46, the Hillside Keeps Growing
The downtown piece is Sensorio's first permanent presence in town, and it arrives during a busy season at the venue itself. The park says it expects its one-millionth guest this fall, seven years after Bruce Munro's Field of Light first lit the hillsides east of town. Field of Light opened in 2019 as a temporary installation. Sensorio is now a permanent 35-acre destination with eight exhibits.
The biggest change this season is Fireflies. The expansion, debuting in October, adds 270 lights to the existing hillside installation and 775 new fireflies on the hill across from it. The new lights line the walking paths near Gone Fishing, which is getting a projection river for the holiday season. Other recent additions include an illuminated oak tree at the gateway with seasonal projection art you can see from Highway 46. On site, The Mercado now has a wood-fired pizza oven and barbecue.
A few dates are worth knowing for the next several weeks:
- Hours move earlier on November 1. October hours are 6 to 9:30 p.m., Thursday through Sunday. In November and December, the posted hours are 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., with extra openings on November 25 and December 21 to 23 and 28 to 30. A third-party listing shows different evening hours, so check Sensorio's own calendar before you go.
- Local Glow ends with October. Through the end of the month, Sensorio is offering $50 all-inclusive Local Glow tickets to select neighboring communities on select operating days. Details go out by email and social media.
- Halloween weekend, October 30 and 31: Costumed children 12 and under get in free, with lawn crafts and trick-or-treating at the Airstream trailers. On Sunday, November 1, a Gives Back night supports Coats for Kids and HART.
The Gives Back program has donated more than $530,000 to local nonprofits so far. Looking ahead to 2027, Sensorio plans to expand the original Field of Light and open a redesigned entry village with a water feature, seating, a merchandise building and rotating art exhibits. Those projects will still be behind the ticket gate. The three sculptures by the Carnegie Library will be free to see whenever they're lit, about 12 hours a night, for at least the next three years.
Being within walking distance of a lit downtown park is one of those details that matters to people living near the center of Paso Robles. If you live near City Park and want to know how a location like yours is valuing right now, Campa Real Estate Group is happy to walk you through it. Request a Free Home Valuation and we'll put together a picture built on your block.
