In Bonita, artist Michael Leaf unveils his latest work: a museum wrapped in metal

"I’m the most patient impatient person you will ever meet," artist Michael Leaf admitted. "With some stuff, I'm perfectly OK waiting 10 years and not even blink. With other stuff, I have to have it in 10 seconds."

During his entire artistic journey, Leaf has found the perfect way to dance on both ends of the patience-impatience continuum.

Take, for example, one of his artworks in a solo exhibition currently on display at the Bonita Museum & Cultural Center in South County. The piece - made of mild steel, a low-carbon metal - could easily have been completed quickly by forcing the discoloration with acid. But Leaf wasn't having any of that.

"I’m not a fan of acid … because it’s so aggressive," said Leaf, a third-generation San Diegan based in Chula Vista. "Acid goes quick, and it’s hard to stop."

In this instance, his method of choice? Water - rainwater, to be exact.

"The best element on the planet is rainwater," he said. "I used to collect it in tubs and tubs, and I would use it as literally as just introducing the water to steel and then watching how it would rust … or I would throw dirt with it and use water and I’d see all these different amazing patterns emerge. I am not this cool to create nature’s patterns, but I know how to get them in a room and have them start talking."

It's a magical process - one that "takes a lot of patience." That combination, in a way, mirrors Leaf's approach to art: trust the process, be patient, and know that something magical will come along next.

Biggest project yet

His latest project proved to be an amalgamation of all of that.

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 "Powering the Arts," a piece on the San Diego Bayfront that uses salvaged materials from the Chula Vista Power Plant.

The newest piece in his portfolio can be seen at the Bonita Museum & Cultural Center - or to be more precise, around the museum. Inside one of the museum’s galleries are works by Leaf, all on display temporarily. But outside, there’s something more permanent. "Chameleon IT," first proposed in 2020 and took more than 3-1/2 years to complete, is described by the museum as "a 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."

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's answer to the Stuart Collection on the UC San Diego campus. The pieces, all by Leaf, are "Inner Strength," a 22-by-16-foot metal sculpture; "Communication," a set of large steel chairs; and "Lead with Your HeART," the first piece in a planned international series.

The entire project was funded by donations from the artist, seed money from the county of San Diego and matching funds from the community.

William Osborne, a member of the museum's board of directors, recalls how the massive project all started.

"The museum board has long been interested in ways to put our proud little museum on the region’s 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," Osborne said.

"As 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."

The sculptures formally unveiled last month "are really just the first phase of a long-term project involving many artists that we think will gain national prominence," Osborne added.

Fellow board member Michael Cohen agreed.

"I hope this project puts our museum on the map," he said. "We 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."

Like Osborne, it didn't take long for Cohen to get sold on Leaf's proposal.

"What impressed me most about Michael's vision was the fact that it was so bold and beyond any ideas we had in our minds. The execution has been fairly seamless," he said. "It 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."

Wendy Wilson, the museum's executive director, said she was first struck by the scale of what Leaf was proposing.

"My first reaction was to the scale of the work. ‘Chameleon IT' is so massive that it was hard to visualize what the project would look like on the building," she said. "His 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's inner life.I loved the concept and his thoughts on a ‘living building' that reflected the color-changing light of San Diego."

Dynamic energy

Leaf's goal was simple: "I wanted the energy of what happens inside this space to be reflected outside," he said during an interview recently at the museum. "What happens in here is so, so incredible and so multifaceted. … Everything is always changing."

The result is a stunning metamorphosis of the museum's exterior, now wrapped in 59 aluminum panels of varying shapes and sizes. All covered with eight layers of paint - a combination of specialty pigments and pearls, color-shifting paint and automotive clear coat for UV resistance and tolerance. The colors, primarily in blues, shift in tone and intensity based on the light. Those hues, along with the curvatures on the surface of the metal, are an homage to the San Diego environment, especially the water.

With so much material to work with - the layers of paint alone cover 13,500 square feet - Leaf didn't find the physical aspect of the projet daunting. The most challenging, he recalled, was taking measurements.

"The measuring to make it all fit was the most challenging," he said, adding that except for the north side of the building, which was just one panel, all the other sides involved panels of different sizes.

The project was merely an idea in 2020, and after going through a long approval process, it took Leaf a total of six months to make the pieces and eight days to install it. For half a year, he was in his South Bay shop every day, and that alone was a shock to his artistic system.

"That was unbelievable," he said. "I’m usually more nomadic in my career because I’m moving around or I’m measuring or I’m visiting, but to pull this off, I was hunkered down."

A lot was riding on this project, not just for him personally, but for the board and the community.

"I’ve done big projects in the past, but the fact that I’m doing not only this building but sculpture around the building, too, this is absolutely the largest." And of the piece called "Inner Strength," Leaf said, "I consider that the single greatest piece of art I’ve ever made."

Sense of wonderment

As an artist, Leaf said that his wish is that anyone viewing his art, whether inside or outside the museum, elicits hope and inspiration.

"I hope they walk into a sense of wonderment and they feel anything is possible. And whatever they’re working on or whatever they may be dreaming of doesn’t have to be a dream."

Osborne shared Leaf's feelings about hope but acknowledged that the road wasn't always smooth.

"Public art is very often controversial. Most, but certainly not all, museum board members were initially excited about Michael’s proposal, particularly the idea of cladding the exterior of the museum building itself with unique color-changing metal. A few community residents were also less than enthusiastic. We expect some criticism," he said. "But I view that as part of the magic of art. I love it all, but perhaps my favorite piece is the sculpture in the parking lot Michael calls ‘Inner Strength'. In my mind, it sends the universal message that seemingly impossible obstacles can be overcome through an individual’s strength that comes from within."

Wilson, the museum's executive director, said: "I hope that Michael's artwork inspires and sparks conversation as viewers interpret the artwork they see. I hope they can feel his fantastic vision for the project, making the outside of the museum as vibrant as the inside of the museum. All of his sculpture garden pieces are accessible 24 hours a day, transforming the local environment into a living gallery, making art a natural part of our daily practice."

Wilson said she, too, is pleased by what she says is a "homecoming" for Leaf: "Even for artists with a global audience, there is a special significance in being recognized and celebrated in your own community."

Leaf, a longtime yoga practitioner who subscribes to a relaxed approach to his life and art, knew a project like “Chameleon IT” was always in the cards.

“I knew it would - 100%,” he said. “I always had a vision. Because the energy that surrounded the vision, even far before this, knew I wanted to do this, and I would tell my wife, ‘Someday, I want to wrap a building.’ And I’m a big believer in everything’s already happened. We’re just catching up to it.”

Bonita Museum & Cultural Center

When: “Michael Leaf Fine Metal Art Exhibition” on display through June 27. Museum is open Wednesdays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Outdoor art on display permanently.

Where: Bonita Museum & Cultural Center, 4355 Bonita Road, Bonita

Admission: Pay as you wish

Phone: 619-267-5141

Online:bonitahistoricalsociety.org

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This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 5:59 AM.