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Description:
The 545-foot long mural project consists of more than 15,000
handmade tiles, and is the result of four years of involvement from
the Tempe community. An estimated 3,500 participants, ranging from
school-aged children to senior citizens, created small and large
collaborative tiles. The imagery represents the past, present and
future of the Salt River area, and its history, natural habitat and
future development. Viewed from a distance, the mural panels create
a colorful ribbon of movement along the lake. Up close, the tiles
reveal a vast array of images—animals, desert life, faces and names.
In addition to the handmade tiles, photo silk-screened tiles were
created using photos of the area selected from the Tempe Historical
Museum. Contemporary photos by Rebecca Ross were reproduced onto
ceramic tiles to characterize the present and imagined future of the
area.
Funding:
This project was funded through Tempe’s municipal arts fund with
additional funding from the Arizona Commission on the Arts’
A.P.P.L.E. Corps program and the KidZone after school program.
Artist biography:
Jeff East is a ceramicist and teacher at McKemy Middle School. His
work has been exhibited throughout the United States in more than 50
exhibitions. Rebecca Ross has received numerous awards for her
photography including a Visual Arts Fellowship and Artist Project
Grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts and public art
commissions for the cities of Phoenix and Scottsdale. Her work is
included in a number of major art collections including the Museum
of Fine Arts-Houston and the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
at University of Texas-Austin. She was selected 2002 Artist Educator
of the Year by the Scottsdale Cultural Council for her work with
disadvantaged youth.
Artist statement:
This project was designed to
involve children from the five elementary schools nearest the site
in an effort to garner community buy-in and create "young citizen
protectors" of the completed mural that was one of the first
completed projects included in the development at Tempe Town Lake.
The education component of the project grew to include involvement
from groups such as Pueblo Grande Museum, Tempe Historical Museum
and the Southwest Center for Education in the Natural Environment.
As Tempe students and community members were learning about Tempe's
history and creating tiles to celebrate the imagined future of city
life with the lake, artist Jeff East said, "I believe the mural
itself will become a part of Tempe's history. When these kids get
older, I hope they will bring their children to see it." |
