The community is invited to take part in a community mosaic mural project at Frontier Park located at 1400 Mitchell Avenue, Tustin. Tile glazing workshops will be held on January 7 and 14, 2023 and mosaic gluing workshops will take place on February 4 and 5, 2023.
The permanent finished mural will be composed of tile pieces installed on the west exterior wall of the restroom building, visible from Mitchell Avenue. Designed with the help of community members over two public meetings in August and September 2022, the mural imagery depicts parrots, inspired by flocks that inhabit the area, in flight over a horizon of Saddleback Mountain. The graphic parrot silhouettes will each be an individual color, making up a spectrum of colored parrots. On close inspection, viewers will see personal designs on each tile, glazed by community members, and illustrating their “favorite things” in that particular tone-on-tone color theme. For example, the yellow parrot may have tiles showing a bumblebee, lemon, sunflower, canary, or a taxi on a yellow background.
Workshops are “drop in” style, whereby participants may arrive anytime, and work as long, or short, a time as desired. Due to the ceramic medium and materials, this activity is best for individuals aged 10 years and up, or supervised by parents. Participants may attend any, or all workshops.
“This project enhances Frontier Park and helps provide a sense of pride and unity for the community,” stated Mayor Austin Lumbard. “I encourage residents across our city to learn more about Tustin’s public art program via the Tustin Public Art Committee and its strategic priorities which can be found on the City’s website.”
Glazing Workshops
Glazing will take place on Saturdays, January 7 and 14, 11:00am-4:00pm. Work stations will be grouped by glaze colors, with related clip-art images for inspiration, or attendees may bring their own. Choice of colors include Blue, Green, Orange, Purple, Red, or Yellow. The 3-step process includes creating a simple line drawing in pencil on the tile, tracing it with wax pencil, and painting in two or three similar “tone on tone” glazes. Tiles will be kiln fired, and return to the park in time for mosaic gluing
Mosaic Gluing Workshops
Mosaic gluing takes place on Saturday and Sunday, February 4 and 5, 11:00am-4:00pm. Using thinset cement and putty knife, attendees will glue tiles to the wall in predesignated areas marked by chalk. The mosaic will later be grouted to completion.
Tustin Public Art Commission Chair Meg Gullo added, “I am so impressed by how the Frontier Park Mosaic has progressed! The neighborhood created a vision far beyond what I could have envisioned. It’s amazing to see what we can accomplish and the appetite for ownership in our community.”
Participation in all workshops is free. The program is led by tile artist Mike Tauber, and presented by City of Tustin Parks and Recreation Department. For more information, visit www.Tustinca.org/publicart call (714)573-3326 or email tprd@tustinca.org.