Location: Clemmons Elementary School, Clemmons, NC

Clemmons Elementary, designated as a school of global communication, started work on its Global Garden in 2008, spearheaded by art specialist Fran Paige and parent volunteer Rich Griner. The garden is divided into areas representing the continents, each with beds containing the plants of its region and highlighted with a sculpture or installation created by local artists. The Asian garden is in the shadow of a traditional Japanese gate and features an arched bridge. Africa includes a stylized sculpture of giraffes by Dempsy Calhoun and am African memory vase by Jan Deter. Charles Cummings created a miniature Eiffel Tower replica for Europe. In 2010, Ms. Paige commissioned me to create mosaic installations for the areas representing South America and Australia.

For South America, I created mosaic art on the roughly 300 square feet of surface of three large seating walls forming an amphitheater. In 2011 I created a coral reef mosaic mural on the 170 square feet surface of two large planters representing Australia.

The amphitheater mosaic incorporates symbols and native animals from pre-Hispanic an modern South American cultures.

For South America, I created mosaic art on the roughly 300 square feet of surface of three large seating walls forming an amphitheater. After creating the concept and design, I cut the symbol inserts, their negative-space backgrounds and the mosaic borders in-studio. Once the cement structures were completed, the inserts were applied and the mosaic on the remaining bench surfaces was created with valuable help from a large and enthusiastic group of volunteers from Hanes Brands Inc. (see below)

Parent volunteers donated materials, labor and time to build the bench structures. Throughout the year, parents donated tile left-over from home and business renovations. Once the symbol inserts were in place, a large group of volunteers from Hanes Brands, Inc. spent a full day learning the required mosaic techniques and helping to cover the bench surfaces with tile shards. The great progress made in one day was evidence of their amazing community spirit, enthusiasm, energy and skills. Thank you everyone!