Guardians of the Wilderness
Snapshot
Guardians of the Wilderness
Goodyear, AZ (2024)
​Fire Station 182
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"Guardians of the Wilderness" is a public art piece located at Goodyear Fire Station 182 in Goodyear, AZ (10701 Spring Dr.).
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The artwork was created to reflect themes of public service, the local wilderness of the Estrella Mountains, and community. It was developed through discussions with representatives from the Police and Fire Department, community leaders, and public surveys.
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The tight timeline for this project allowed only 3 months between design approval by the City of Goodyear’s Art Council and installation in June.
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Community engagement was crucial throughout the project, from concept design to tile fabrication, making it a true example of community-based public art.
Conception
When tasked with enhancing a curved stucco wall with 10 window portals, we designed 8 free-floating trapezoid panels to be mounted off the wall using anchors into the solid substructure. The panels, made of steel frames with imagery conveyed using steel, ceramic, and glass, create a continuous image while acknowledging the existing architecture.
Above the wall, a "celestial band" of glass tiles and ceramic stars represents the 24/7 service of police officers and firefighters. This design honors the 19 hotshot firefighters who lost their lives in the Yarnell fire of 2013. The entire piece, titled "Guardians of the Wilderness," seamlessly intertwines themes of nature, community, and the police and fire departments.
Creation
The project involved collaboration between Fine Art & Creative Environments, LLC and E2Innovations to create steel frames for mosaic panels. The community, including students and local volunteers, contributed to making thousands of handmade tiles for the project. The mosaics comprise handmade ceramic tiles, commercial ceramic tile, and glass mosaic tiles, with varied grout colors to define the details of the mural.
Completion
The design was approved on March 19, 2024. The installation of the mural was completed on June 25, just 14 weeks later. The project came together with the help and dedication of the Goodyear Arts & Culture, the expertise of E2 Innovations (who designed and fabricated the panel frames, installed the panels, and hanging brackets), my studio team, and the dozens of community volunteers. I am really proud of the beauty we created together. Along with the animals, the police, and the firefighters, we are all "Guardians of the Wilderness."
