Community art projects can be emotionally rich additions to parks, trails, public plazas and any community gathering space. “Without emotion, there is no beauty.” – Diana Vreeland.
A hand-made piece of art, fabricated by children, adults, and senior citizens from the community, has the ability to transform public spaces – making people feel safe and connected to their community while inspiring joy.
One way to craft a truly meaningful and beautiful community art project is through a LithoMosaic.
LithoMosaics allow hands-on community involvement in a wonderfully controlled environment. When it comes to community art – a balance is needed between allowing the creative freedom of the participants and ensuring a beautiful outcome. After all, mosaics have the potential for lasting thousands of years, so they better look beautiful! The project below, Bannister Family House Heart, is an incredible example of how this is accomplished.
Original heart concept by Kim Emerson
The Bannister Family House Heart Project
The Bannister Family House provides a temporary home for families to stay when their loved ones are in long-term or critical care at UC San Diego Health. Our team, Amanda Elizabeth Mosaics, in collaboration with San Diego artists Kim Emerson and Dennis Reiter, led a meaningful and successful community art project for the central courtyard of the Bannister house.
The concept was inspired by a mosaic heart, originally created by Kim Emerson that was originally installed at the Bannister House entrance. We repeated the beautiful heart-shaped design in the courtyard of the house, using natural stone and river rock materials for a calmer and more natural “zen” vibe.
David Romero (heart transplant patient) working with a member of the Bannister family.
Residents staying at the Bannister Family House were encouraged to help create the artwork. David Romero, a heart transplant patient from Las Vegas who was nearing the end of a five-month stay, worked with our artists to glue each individual stone. “I got a new heart,” says Romero, “and then I created a new heart. At first, I just thought of them as stones, but then I saw the big picture of the completed heart. It meant a lot to have the opportunity to be part of that. Very cool.”
Gabrielle, whose husband was in critical condition at UC San Diego Health, helps fabricate the new mosaic heart with artist Dennis Reiter.
Another resident, Gabrielle, whose husband was in critical condition at UC San Diego Health, wrote a message on the back of a stone for her husband, and placed it in the lithomosaic.
The Bannister Family House Heart project engaged the Bannister community and enabled the 12 residents staying at the home to really get to know one-another and hear each other’s story. The family of the late Ralph Bannister (who originally built the home) were able to interact with the residents, and even the employees who run the home every day contributed. It was an impactful community art piece crafted with intention, and a truly transformational experience for everyone involved.
Community art brings people of all backgrounds together and inspires unity – a great reminder that we all have a story and, sometimes, challenging life circumstances that we are dealing with.
Let us all to be kind to each other.
Bannister Family House Heart, Completed Lithomosaic.
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