![\"The](\"https:\/\/wpdash.medianewsgroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/sut-l-visualbonita-art-020.jpg\")
<\/a>Besides \u201cChameleon IT,\u201d the metal sculpture wrapping the Bonita Museum & Cultural Center, three other pieces by metalworks artist Michael Leaf can be seen outside the museum. Leaf called \u201cInner Strength,\u201d above, \u201cthe single greatest piece of art I\u2019ve ever made.\u201d (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)\nBiggest project yet<\/p>\n
His latest project proved to be an amalgamation of all of that.<\/p>\n
Last month, the South Bay artist completed his most ambitious work yet, and it, too, required a lot of patience. Leaf, 41, is known in San Diego County and beyond for his metalwork, including private commissions and large-scale public installations like \u201cPowering the Arts,\u201d a piece on the San Diego Bayfront that uses salvaged materials from the Chula Vista Power Plant.<\/p>\n
The newest piece in his portfolio can be seen at the Bonita Museum & Cultural Center \u2014 or to be more precise, around the museum. Inside one of the museum\u2019s galleries are works by Leaf, all on display temporarily. But outside, there\u2019s something more permanent. \u201cChameleon IT,\u201d first proposed in 2020 and took more than 3-1\/2 years to complete, is described by the museum as \u201ca dynamic, three-dimensional building wrap that uses 2,000 square feet of hand-cut aluminum to transform the museum building itself into a living canvas.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is joined by three additional works nearby meant to jump start what the museum hopes will be a sculpture garden that will be South County\u2019s answer to the Stuart Collection on the UC San Diego campus. The pieces, all by Leaf, are \u201cInner Strength,\u201d a 22-by-16-foot metal sculpture; \u201cCommunication,\u201d a set of large steel chairs; and \u201cLead with Your HeART,\u201d the first piece in a planned international series.<\/p>\n
The entire project was funded by donations from the artist, seed money from the county of San Diego and matching funds from the community.<\/p>\n
William Osborne, a member of the museum\u2019s board of directors, recalls how the massive project all started.<\/p>\n \u201cThe museum board has long been interested in ways to put our proud little museum on the region\u2019s artistic and cultural map. One day after a board meeting several years ago, board member Nimpa Akana casually said to me that she liked the idea of a sculpture garden. I loved the idea, too, but neither of us had any idea where to begin,\u201d Osborne said.<\/p>\n \u201cAs it happens, I have a good friend, Michael Leaf, a well-known local sculptor who has deep family roots in the community and significant experience in public and private art. I subsequently approached him with questions about how the board might proceed. He loved the idea, too, and, we had several informal discussions on issues like process and financing. I mentioned all that to the board. A committee was formed. Michael said he would love to help us. Without a specific request from us, he subsequently submitted a proposal that we almost instantly knew would achieve our hopes of transforming our museum into a cultural asset not just for Bonita and South County, but for the entire San Diego region and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n The sculptures formally unveiled last month \u201care really just the first phase of a long-term project involving many artists that we think will gain national prominence,\u201d Osborne added.<\/p>\n Fellow board member Michael Cohen agreed.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope this project puts our museum on the map,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have been in a shadow since the museum was built, and there is no doubt that recognition will follow for the work we do. The cladding was a big risk for this organization, but the community support we have already seen will bring the kind of notoriety that the Bonita Museum & Cultural Center deserves.\u201d<\/p>\n Like Osborne, it didn\u2019t take long for Cohen to get sold on Leaf\u2019s proposal.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat impressed me most about Michael\u2019s vision was the fact that it was so bold and beyond any ideas we had in our minds. The execution has been fairly seamless,\u201d he said. \u201cIt became evident from the start that we needed to concentrate on dealing with the outside challenges, and let him have carte blanche on the art. It has been a very successful partnership that will only get better over time.\u201d<\/p>\n Wendy Wilson, the museum\u2019s executive director, said she was first struck by the scale of what Leaf was proposing.<\/p>\n \u201cMy first reaction was to the scale of the work. \u2018Chameleon IT\u2019 is so massive that it was hard to visualize what the project would look like on the building,\u201d she said. \u201cHis intent really sparked my interest. His intent to create artwork on the outside of the building that reflects what is happening on the inside of the building. The artwork as an extension of the building\u2019s inner life.I loved the concept and his thoughts on a \u2018living building\u2019 that reflected the color-changing light of San Diego.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>Through June 27, the Bonita Museum & Cultural Center is exhibiting works by South Bay artist Michael Leaf inside its main gallery. Outside, Leaf has installed a more permanent artwork, \u201cChameleon IT,\u201d a color-changing metal sculpture that wraps the museum\u2019s exterior in 2,000 square feet of aluminum. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n