Watertown native carves out role in Public Square art project

Jan. 23—WATERTOWN — David O. Grieco's father would have been proud that a sculpture by the accomplished artist was selected to be prominently displayed in the middle of downtown.

Mr. Grieco, a Watertown native who works and lives in Los Angeles, found out that the city began a call for artists to submit ideas for a public art project at about the same time of his father's death in August.

A friend told him that the city was looking for artists to come up with a sculpture for the median in Public Square. The $155,000 project is part of the city's $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative program.

His father, Richard J. Grieco Sr., will never get to see the piece the sculptor designed for the city.

But Mr. Grieco credited his father for much of his success as an artist.

"He was my rock," Mr. Grieco said.

Over the past 20 years, Mr. Grieco has become an accomplished sculptor in Los Angeles and has traveled the world doing what he loves. He remains based in his California home where he still works almost every day on sculpting in his studio.

He's now working on three projects, one for an Oscar-winning actor whose name he cannot divulge, he said.

But sculpting has brought him back to his hometown. On Tuesday night, he sat in the third-floor council chambers at City Hall while council members considered his plans for the Public Square median.

He flew in from Los Angeles so that he could answer any questions councilors might have. They liked what he shared, with Councilman Cliff G. Olney III espousing it will give downtown a "wow" factor.

"It's exciting for me to be here," he said during an interview Wednesday before flying back to California. "It's my hometown."

It's an intricate piece that he's focused on since last summer.

The main component of the piece is a stainless steel sculpture in the shape of an open book that sits atop a limestone base.

The book's pages represent the city's history and founders, nature, snow, the Black River, fish and Watertown's city limits. It will include symbols of the First Baptist Church, Hotel Woodruff, the Flower Memorial Library and the Mill Street Bridge.

"The cover of the book stands as a proud beacon for those who have been a part of this great city for so long and for those looking to be a part of great history and a city looking to the future with excitement with open arms. Looking to the future like an open book," he wrote in his 78-page proposal to the city.

While he worked on the design, he did a lot of research about Watertown, drew about 150 sketches and wrote notes in a small lined notebook as he thought about what he wanted to create.

Jennifer Voss, Watertown's senior planner, is overseeing the public art project for the city. Mr. Grieco's piece was among 15 concepts that artists submitted to the city for consideration.

She didn't know anything about the artist before his proposal came into her office. But she's impressed by his passion for the project and for the city where he grew up.

"I just think he really just wants to give back to the city," she said. "I think it just comes out in his compassion."

The city hopes to unveil the piece by next winter.

Mr. Grieco is inspired by his time growing up in Watertown, the city's history and his family's connection to its past.

His grandfather, Louis G. Grieco Sr., was the longest-serving member of the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors, now reorganized as the Board of Legislators. His grandfather owned downtown's Lincoln Building, where he ran his realty company, and the nearby Buck Building. The family also ran Grieco's Brass Rail on Arsenal Street and Canale's Restaurant, now Pete's.

As a kid, Mr. Grieco spent a chunk of his childhood hanging out at the two restaurants. He still has a 1935 menu from the Brass Rail.

His grandmother owned a hat shop on the American Corner, at the junction of Arsenal and Court streets and Public Square.

His parents had their wedding reception at the Hotel Woodruff, torn down decades ago. His father was a city building inspector and he often accompanied him to work at City Hall. His mother, Carolyn A. Grieco, died in 2001 at the age of 57.

The 50-year-old's love affair with sculpting began quite by chance when he was a walk-on for the University of Alabama's football team.

A star running back at General Brown, he was a member of the team that went to the state championship in 1998. He scored a 31-yard touchdown in the 20-14 loss.

At the time, he thought football was in his genes, coming from a family of athletes. His father was a standout player at Texas Christian University.

In his second year at Alabama, though, Mr. Grieco was having doubts. He thought he'd accomplished everything he could at the giant powerhouse college football program that produced so many NFL stars.

One day after practice, Mr. Grieco recalled, he was walking by an art class when he noticed some students and a teacher having trouble pouring bronze for a sculpture they were working on.

With his 215-pound running back frame, he asked if they needed help doing the heavy lifting and jumped in to give them an extra hand.

Before he knew it, he was taking a couple of art classes and the walk-on player was about to walk off the football field, he said.

But he thought his father would be disappointed. He had to tell his dad he was ready to hang up the cleats to pick up molding clay.

"David, you have to do what makes you happy," his father told him.

He also got the blessing from Crimson Tide Head Coach Gene Stallings, other coaches with the team and his friends and teammates, some he remains friends with to this day.

After college, he moved to Los Angeles to initially pursue an acting career and attended the Joanne Baron and D.W. Brown Acting Studio. His brother, Richard J. Grieco Jr., starred in the Fox TV hit series "21 Jump Street" with Johnny Depp.

While his brother was making a name in Hollywood, David landed a big role in a 2008 Quentin Tarantino-produced movie, "Hell Ride," that starred Dennis Hopper, David Carradine and Michael Madsen.

But he made a second "life switch" when he met his mentor, Swedish sculptor Reige Andersson, who offered for him to live in his home rent-free and take care of his family in exchange for an art studio he could use.

"He told me to sculpt every day," Mr. Grieco said, adding that the experience gave him direction during "his crazy 20s."

He stayed there for five years until the young artist felt he could go out on his own. To make ends meet, in 2005 he started Justice Bodan, a company that sells his designs of belt buckles and jewelry.

His first big break came when his design for a monument of President George H.W. Bush in Houston, Texas, received an honorable mention award in 2004. At about the same time, he also was commissioned for a large piece for a Los Angeles restaurant.

He was recognized for another piece, "Man Embracing Fear," a 10-foot sculpture based on Mr. Grieco's own emotions.

On the day college teammate Kevin Turner died of ALS, he completed a sculpture, "Open Field." It's displayed at the Paul Bryant Museum on the Alabama campus.

He's also commissioned to complete a series of works for an owner of a 40,000-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion.

He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Nyakio, an entrepreneur who owns a facial skin care company, Thirteen Lune, and their two children, Lulu, 16, and Rocco, 11, both budding artists.

For more information on Mr. Grieco's work, visit his website at www.davidgrieco.com and Instagram account @davidgriecostudio