MAGNUSON’S CHILDREN’S GARDEN MURAL PROJECT: “All Are Welcome”
2020 – 2022
ARTIST AND PROJECT DIRECTOR
Sandy Bricel Miller
PARTNERS
Seattle Neighborhood Matching Fund
Jump below to see photos from the Magnuson’s Children’s Garden Project
In 2020, I was commissioned to design and create two community murals for the Magnuson Park Children’s Garden. The goal was to bring children together from a variety of backgrounds to learn about the local natural world and to work together on a collaborative public art project. Over the course of a year, I worked with over 120 students in the creation of the murals that were mounted on a kiosk adjacent to the Children’s Garden. Many organizations were involved including: Seattle Audubon, Girl Scouts Troops from the local neighborhood and Brettler Center, the Seattle YMCA and many other children from the surrounding neighborhood.
Students explored the wetlands of Magnuson Park through guided walks lead by myself and naturalists. They learned to sketch plants and animals through direct observation and photo references. Kids worked together to develop a composition for the painted mural based on the species found in the wetlands. Another team of students developed the concept for a large ceramic tile mural which focuses on three different habitats: Northwest Coastal, Mountainous and Wetland Habitats. During the spring and summer of 2021, over 100 students were involved in the creation of tiles of both the landscapes and individual species of animals that from the three habitats. Workshops were held in my studio at Magnuson Park and outdoors under tents during the summer.
Children’s Garden Tile Mural Kiosk. The technique used for the tile design is called “sgraffito.” This is a traditional Italian method of painting and drawing on leather hard clay. Volunteers assisted me in rolling out slabs of clay and then each tile was cut by hand. After students transferred their drawings, they painted vibrant underglazes onto the leather hard clay and etched details into the surface. Students loved the process! Tiles were fired in batches, glazed and then fired again. Wonderful volunteers assisted me in the mounting and grouting process. Due to the weight of the mural, it was built in sections and then installed by the carpenter team from the Seattle Parks Department on a rebuilt kiosk made to specifications.
Children’s Garden Painted Mural Kiosk. The painted mural was executed in latex paint and protected with an anti-graffiti coating. The “All Are Welcome” theme was illustrated in several languages; English, Lushootseed (Language of the Salish People, original inhabitants of the land) and Sign-Language. The murals will serve as educational inspiration for children and families who visit the Children’s Garden for years to come. They will be enjoyed by hundreds of passer-bys in the park, providing a valuable message for all people to feel welcome.
Tile Workshop.
Left, Scraffito tile process; right, Mt Rainier detail.
Kids and assistants.
Volunteers, Carol Furry and Martha Taylor.