Client: City of Santa Clarita

Overview

“Circle Song” is a 5’ x 50’ ceramic tile mural, commissioned by the City of Santa Clarita for the Canyon Country Community Center. Circle Song is comprised of approximately 3000 handmade ceramic tiles. Of these, approximately 600 were made by community members in a series of workshops facilitated by the artist. Studio assistance from Brea Peck.

Goals

The City of Santa Clarita sought a tile muralist to create an artwork for a long concrete wall on the grounds of the Canyon Country Community Center. There was no designated theme, but it was important that the mural tie in to the "California rustic" design of the new building. Krantz wanted the work to reflect the natural landscape of the high desert and achieved that by collecting impressions of the natural environment from community members during workshops.

Process

During the spring of 2021, Krantz held a series of community workshops at various parks and trailheads around Santa Clarita. At the workshops, Krantz handed out small slabs of wet clay and asked participants to make an impression of something they encountered on their outing. When they returned from their walk, slabs were returned to Krantz and transformed into tiles. The finished work functions as a record of local flora and reflects the diverse hands of the community.