Castro Valley Streetscape Improvement Project

Art Concept Castro Valley is a unique community that has a strong relationship with the nature surrounding it. Golden hills are dotted with oaks and eucalyptus trees. There are lakes, creeks, canyons, flora and fauna. These are the timeless elements that have drawn people to this community and provide a precious resource for Castro Valley. Community members who have reflected on the history, the present day and the future of the area often mentioned the same things that drew them to the area, and also keep them here: Lake Chabot, Fairmont Ridge, Cull Canyon, Crow Canyon, the Palomares Hills, trails, ranches, birds, horses, trees, flowers and creeks. I am excited about my proposal to create ceramic tile artworks for the Castro Valley Boulevard benches and columns. At a distance, the artwork will appear almost like a wallpaper or fabric pattern. This will add a homey and decorative element to the “seating” areas of the boulevard. My artwork appears abstract when seen at a distance, but upon close inspection, one will see that the patterns are created with mirrored and flipped photographic images. The images are drawn from those distinctive natural features in the community that are mentioned above. The photographic images have been flattened into simpler graphic color areas that will be translated into ceramic glaze on tile. There will be a total of five different themes for the single and double benches. In this initial proposal three potential bench themes are illustrated: scenes from Lake Chabot, wildflower images from Lake Chabot and Cull Canyon, and the redwood trees on Castro Valley Boulevard. You will see on my presentation board that there is a common design composition, which is used in all three of the themes. I have simply changed the colors and the flattened photo images in this composition for each theme.

Karlsen 2 Castro Valley Boulevard Streetscape Improvement Project There are many design possibilities when mirroring an image and by changing scale. This will allow each theme to have three unique design configurations on the benches. For example: a double bench and a single bench will have the same theme, but each of the three ceramic tile stripes will be a unique configuration of the design repeat. In the overall layout of the boulevard, that means that there will be 15 unique bench artworks. Each artwork will be repeated only 2 or 3 times along the entire length of the boulevard. You can preview the placements of each bench design on the street map of Castro Valley Boulevard. The Column images are created in the same fashion, but represent more of an overview of Castro Valley by combining images from Fairmont Ridge, the eucalyptus trees, and local wildflowers. Community Involvement I have been very impressed by the high level of community participation in the Castro Valley Boulevard project. It was very interesting to both hear from the residents at the community meeting, and also to read the written responses to questions. As an artist, it is important for me to find common threads that define a community historically, currently and in its future vision. In doing research, and considering all the varied responses to questions, it seemed that the unique geographic location of Castro Valley was commonly identified. The region of Castro Valley is both connected to the larger urban community of the Bay Area, but at the same time secluded from those neighbors and intimately connected with it’s own surrounding natural resources. This connection with nature is what I have identified as a concurrent and consistent love of the area for its residents, both past and present. The central images in my work follow this theme of the natural beauty surrounding Castro Valley: the hills, creeks, canyons, trees, lakes, and flowers. The residents of this community are those whom know the hidden places, the timeless locales, the seasons, the trails, the best times of day to view the area. I would like to invite the community to submit digital photographs of some of their favorites places, or nature images, for possible inclusion in the final artwork for the benches. I often take my own photographs and would invite suggestions for places and subjects to include as my own photographic subjects.

Karlsen 3 Castro Valley Boulevard Streetscape Improvement Project Qualifications / Interest Since 1992 I have successfully completed twenty public art commissions in various locations around the United States. The budgets have ranged from $10,000 up to $350,000. I have worked variously as a solo lead artist, design team lead artist, and a public art consultant. As a solo lead artist, I have personally managed entire art budgets which included design, community presentations, architect / developer collaboration, fabrication, hiring and managing subcontractors, installation and final inspection. As the lead artist on a design team, I have successfully collaborated with many nationally recognized architectural firms, developers, arts commissions, engineers, contractors, city planning commissions, lighting designers, city attorneys, subcontractors and fabricators. I am fully aware of the complexity of this type of collaboration, and feel that I have significant experience in this area. I have worked as a Public Art Consultant to the City of West Hollywood, and the City of Long Beach in California. I was commissioned by the City of West Hollywood to research, develop and write the Public Art Program for the Redevelopment of Santa Monica Boulevard in 1999. This Public Art Program will produce at least eight commissioned artworks for the City of West Hollywood over the period of ten years. In 2002, I collaborated with Landscape Architect Patricia Smith to develop a gateway public art plan for the redevelopment of Ocean Avenue in downtown Long Beach, California. I have worked with both government agencies and private real estate developers in my commissions. I have been involved in architect / artist collaborations where projects are in the initial design phase, as well as retro fit projects where my work is a response to completed architect / developer projects. I have been involved in many projects where sensitivity to community issues and local politics was essential. Specifically related to my university teaching career, I am comfortable working with and speaking to the public.

Karlsen 4 Castro Valley Boulevard Streetscape Improvement Project Fabrication: The artwork will be fabricated as hand made ceramic tile at the studio of California Pottery and Tile which is located in South Los Angeles. California Pottery & Tile Works (CPTW) was established in 1994, with the primary goal of continuing the rich tradition of California tile making and decoration perfected by the Malibu and Catalina Potteries in the early decades of the 20th century in an environment capable of meeting the high-volume, time-sensitive needs of today's architectural, design, and building industries. CPTW has the production capacity, both in the US and in Monterey, Mexico, that allows for the efficient production of both large and small custom jobs for commercial, civic, hospitality and residential projects. All tiles are all hand made with a labor-intensive glaze application. Tiles can be made or cut to custom fit projects and are not limited to standard commercial sizes. I have attached a page from the California Pottery and Tile Works website which describes their glaze application style and fabrication process. There are also additional pages which verify the industrial standards of the tile and their applications. With respects to the grout and tile maintenance, the tile can be hosed down with water. Do not use any abrasive or acidic commercial products or metal brushes on the tiles. To keep any buildup from occurring, I recommend "Tile Lab" (available from Home Depot, or tile stores) be used as needed. A soft bristle nylon brush may be used to agitate any dirt or buildup if necessary. I would recommend a grout sealant as well. Timeline Fabrication: Approximately six to eight months from completion of final art

images and files Shipping: One week maximum from fabricator to job site Installation: Approximately four to six weeks ( @ 2 benches per day )