Client: Scottsdale Public Art

Overview

Stained glass mosaics clad 28 colorful spheres and waves imbedded into a new concrete bench add a sophisticated look that activates this splash pad gathering space. The playful spheres harken back to simpler times as children, playing jacks, shooting marbles, playing 4-square and competing as pinball wizards. Designed for photo opportunities of wedding parties and families. Dimensions: 8’ x 30’ x 6’.

Goals

“There used to be steps and water that would fall over the steps and it got turned off, so it just wasn’t a very pretty backdrop for splash pads,” explained Tanya Galin, the public art manager at Scottsdale Public Art.” “We talked about doing some sculptural elements, and some other ways of making it more three-dimensional than we were able to get a little bit more money for the infrastructure for the concrete work,” Coleman said.

“And then with pouring new concrete, I could make wave shapes into that actual concrete form and enable the mosaics to be protected and easily installed.”

Process

“There was an art budget but there wasn’t an infrastructure budget and we needed concrete. So, I had to take money out of my art budget to do the concrete,’ Coleman said. “Once that happened, there was no art budget left.”

Coleman was able to talk with Galin about sourcing extra funding from the Downtown Cultural Trust Fund, which is used support downtown public art.

However, it wasn’t a completely easy process.

“We had to get city council approval and city staff approval for more money but once we had that approval, we were able to transfer those funds to make this even more beautiful,” Galin said.

With the funding secured to finish the project, Coleman got to work in her Colorado studio sculpting concrete and forming large mosaic balls that bred light and color to the once dull backdrop.

Additional Information

28 spheres are covered with approximately 23,846 one inch stained glass hand cut tiles. The waves were designed to inset into the new concrete using a foam form. All waves were designed in the studio using the foam template before pouring the concrete. These stained glass wave mosaics were taped together and transported for the installation right on site.