Mosaic
totems to hover over Mount Greenwood
Park
Sunday,
March 30, 2008
By Brian Marchetti
Correspondent
The Mount Greenwood Park Field
House hosted an event Wednesday
evening to display artwork intended to
decorate mosaic totems for the new
play lot currently under construction.
Several months ago, a parent voiced
concerns about the unsafe conditions
of the playground. Other community
members agreed putting in motion plans
to redesign the lot. This event
inspired not only the spiral theme of
the project, but the artistic design
implemented for the mosaics.
Todd Osborne, an art teacher at
Julian High School was invited to work
on the project through his membership
with the Chicago Public Art Group.
Osborne, along with other artists and
educators, looked to students from
local community schools and groups to
provide the artwork for the seven
totem mosaics planned for use as
thematic markers throughout the
playground.
"The community wanted to
incorporate artwork into the
renovation," Osborne said. The
images on the mosaics are inspired by
its immediate surroundings in the
playground."
The mosaic totems, seven in all,
will stand eight feet tall and measure
four feet around. The totem near the
trees features a jungle theme with
lions and giraffes while the totem in
the elevated center of the playground
displays sun and cloud images along
with a night sky covered in stars.
Kristal Pacheco, another member of
the Chicago Public Art Group and an
art teacher at the Chicago Math and
Science Academy, spoke of the
surrounding schools that contributed
artwork. She mentioned the efforts of
local schools including Cassell, Mount
Greenwood Elementary and St.
Christina's along with a Brownie
Troop.
Jane Hileman, professor of art at
St. Xavier University, attended the
event after hearing of the project
through word of mouth and expressed
her appreciation for the uniqueness of
the project.
"I think it's great,"
Hileman said. "I think they're
inventive, playful and appropriate for
the site."
"We want the community to feel
that they're a part of the
project," said Terri Oliver, a
member of the Mount Greenwood Advisory
Council. "If they are 3 or 103,
we want them to feel that there is an
ownership quality - we want them to
feel that it's theirs."
In order to complete the project,
starting April 14, the group is
seeking the aid of junior high and
high school students along with any
willing adults to volunteer their time
on Mondays and Wednesdays between 4
and 6 p.m. at the fieldhouse.
For more information
Go to mountgreenwoodpark.com.
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