A WALK IN THE PARK
On Third Avenue slightly south of Roosevelt in downtown Phoenix sits a charming, little park with a most fabulous art installation called “a desert garden”. I have driven by this a million times and finally satisfied my curiosity after all these years to stop and check out the art in this park. I knew that the artist behind it was Suzanne Klotz and she is one of my all time favorite artists EVER! I was fortunate enough to connect with her and get the story behind the sculpted and mosaic art monuments. She told me that an architect who lived in the historic neighborhood, Margy Christi, wanted to donate something to the community and she funded and organized the project. It was a three year long project. A man by the name of John Armstrong fabricated the sculpture. He constructed the entire form: welded the rebar, poured concrete forms and the concrete base. He did all the work at his studio and then transported it to the park. Artist, Suzanne Klotz, with the help of her former ASU student Linda Kiepke, made the glazed pavers that were bought from a Phoenix brick yard. They worked together on the glazed tiles for about two years in Suzanne’s studio. During the last year of the project Suzanne and Linda worked with the children from Kenilworth Elementary School and the kids made designs with the glaze on the pavers and then they were fired and included in the piece. In a gracious email reply Suzanne wrote, ” At the time when I applied for Margy’s competition I lived around the corner at 5th ave. and Fillmore. So, I knew the area. At that time there were quite a few homeless people sleeping in the park and it was considered an unsafe area. Kids liked to tear it up, however possible.
To prevent kid-vandalism I got kids from the area involved in the tile workshops. To help the inebriated get a foothold on where they were I put a tile street map of the area on the base of the palm tree. For safety reasons the initial idea had to involve safety factors, such as nothing to hide behind.”
SOOOOOOO AWESOME! I found it fascinating to learn a little about the behind the scene action that was involved. Our mayor at the time, Terry Goddard, awarded the project with the Governor’s City Improvement Award. It had a lot to do with the cleaning up of that area that is now a thriving artist community and home of high dollar real estate. It started with making art a priority in this local, small park. If you are ever in the area get out of your car and take a walk around. You may still see a vagrant or two hanging out, but, it has absolutely come a very long way. Personally, I am grateful and mindful of the artists and people who take the effort to enforce a positive change through art in the community. It makes a huge difference when people in a neighborhood, especially involving the youths, work together creatively.
To check out Suzanne Klotz’s website CLICK HERE. She is a fascinating artist with a resume miles long. I wish that someone would write a biography on this amazing talented woman! I’m dieing to read it!!
When I grow up I want to be like her.
