Pisano, who struggles with mental health challenges himself, has spent months creating the massive artwork using more than 80,000 drywall screws.
DEL MAR, Calif. — When the San Diego County Fair opens Wednesday, retired Navy Chief Joe Pisano hopes his 20-foot-tall Lady Liberty sculpture will start conversations that could save veterans’ lives.
Pisano, who struggles with mental health challenges himself, has spent months creating the massive artwork using more than 80,000 drywall screws. The sculpture will be displayed at the fair’s America’s 250 exhibit.
“Mental health, suicide ideations, the struggle is what I call it, is everyday,” Pisano said. “We talk about all of these programs and how much money we need to help our veterans. Having a conversation is free, giving a hug is free and that’s where we [have] to start.”
The four-panel sculpture uses 3D screw art techniques that make the flag appear to wave. Pisano discovered this approach in 2018 when he wanted to paint an American flag but loved how the screws created movement.
“That’s it, that’s what I wanted, so people who come in and see my work, they see that movement,” he said.
Pisano, who was adopted from a Philippine orphanage by military parents, draws from personal experience in his veteran advocacy work.
“My adopted parents got stationed in the Philippines, and adopted me. My full name is Joseph Angelo Pisano, so I have more marinara sauce in my blood than rice in my belly,” he said.
The sculpture includes an interactive element — a time capsule beneath Lady Liberty’s left arm where fair visitors can leave letters to be opened on America’s 300th birthday in 50 years.
Retired Navy Corpsman Robert Lemos is helping with the project.
“I call it the onion effect because it’s just layered,” Lemos said of Pisano’s work. “It’s not just the symbolism, but it draws both the military and civilians just the same.”
For Pisano, the artwork’s success won’t be measured in accolades.
“You give me a hundred, a thousand awards, but the fact that if I save a veteran, if I save a life, it’s all worth it. I’d rather have one life saved than a thousand ribbons,” he said.
Pisano plans to be at the fair every day it’s open to discuss his work with visitors.
The 2026 San Diego County Fair will run from Wednesday, June 10, through Sunday, July 5. The fair is located at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and follows the theme “Once Upon a Fair.”
For more information about Pisano Artistry, you can visit Joe’s gallery located at 2820 Roosevelt Road, #102, at Liberty Station.