Malcolm Leland

Malcolm Leland 1924 - 2019 San Diego Malcolm Leland passed away among family in Portland, Oregon, on July 30th, after a full and accomplished life spanning 95 years. Early on, he attended Yale art school and flew Marine bombers in the South Pacific in WWII. Returning to California, he founded Malcolm Leland Ceramics, where his clean, nuanced motifs would influence later architectural creations, including the louvered facade of Richard Neutra's L.A. Hall of Records and the precast concrete facade for the American Cement Company at MacArthur Park. Both buildings are defining examples of modernist architecture. Other grand works are also seen at the Pomona College Clock Tower, Cal Tech, UCLA, and USC. In 1965, he moved to San Diego, where he created many timeless works, like the gates at the San Diego Museum of Art and the Civic Center Bow Wave fountain listed in the Smithsonian's inventory of art. Throughout his life, Malcolm exuded a personal warmth and serenity that complimented his art. He aspired to a simple life, and his creative passions were always a priority. His legacy inspires all that knew him and those that unknowingly sit by a beautiful fountain or sculpture he created.