[COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO]
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: May 27, 2016
Contact: Jorgina Soto (858) 495-5042
ARTIST BETSY SCHULZ CELEBRATES ALPINE’S NATURAL BEAUTY IN LIBRARY MURAL
As you circle the exterior of the Alpine library you will find intricately sculpted ceramic art pieces that celebrate the community and natural beauty of Alpine. To create these unique, one-of-a-kind pieces, artist Betsy Schulz and her team hand-sculpted thousands of ceramics. Her preferred medium, Betsy enjoys ceramics because of its longevity and tactile experience.
Betsy works with a dedicated team of artists who, like her, seek to incorporate local history, nature, and language into their art pieces. Her team consists of five volunteers and a high school intern. They worked for six months to create the seventy-five square foot mural that adorns the front of the library. It is a meticulous process in which the artists often worked with twenty-five pounds of clay to create individually sculpted ceramic pieces. It is Betsy’s artistic vision and guidance that ties all of the individual handmade pieces together. The colors are provided by the architect to integrate the mural seamlessly into the overall library design.
For this project, Betsy and her volunteers started by observing local history, local plants, and looking at the property. They walked around the property and took pictures for inspiration. For longtime volunteers Kathy Tanaka and Kathryn Schmiedeberg, this is a project that captures their talents and passion. Kathy was part of the research team, and worked on this project from beginning to end. She is a former bird watcher and used her expertise to bring the birds in the mural to accurate perfection. The circular installations serve as the artistic foundation for the overall design of the mural. Kathryn was part of the 2007 Solana Beach project, as well as the 2009 Sapphire Tower Columns. Kathryn, like Kathy, has spent countless hours perfecting each piece.
Artist Betsy Schulz says of her work, “The sculpted ceramic art pieces created for the Alpine library celebrate the community’s natural environment and history.”
“The stunning installation truly brings the soul of Alpine to life. The design of the building and the integration of Betsy Schulz’ art is crucial to the San Diego County Library, because inspiring and including the community is the most important purpose the library has. We are proud to have been able to partner with Betsy Schulz and her volunteers to be able to bring to life such a stunning art piece that really captures the beauty of the Alpine community” said Deputy Director Susan Moore.
For more information, contact the Alpine Library at (619) 445-4221 or visit our website at www.sdcl.org
Betsy & Volunteers
Artist Betsy Schulz and volunteers Kathryn Schmiedeberg, Karin Wilson, Kathy Tanaka, and high school intern Marie Poleshuk.