Celebrating Magic of the Final Design Workshop

Design Workshop 3:  Finalizing the Fabulous! 
 
Notes from  from the third (and final) public design workshop, written by Carlea Rossi (art intern extraordinaire)
 
This past Sunday, more than 25 residents of Senda Nueva gathered together, with the help of artist team Danielle Fodor, Judy Catambay, and Carlea Rossi, to discuss and vote on the final mural design to be painted on the pedestrian pathway behind Atria.
           
People from ages 10 to 92 sang, reminisced and shared their love for the neighborhood, singing songs and making new friendships along the way.
 
In total, Danielle drafted three different designs from the ideas created from the previous workshops.
 
The three proposed designs included:

Love Grows Wild: This design portrays relationships between people and creatures who inhabit the green belt, while giving visual form to “Love your Neighbor” across cultures and differences. Starting with a ladybug in flight at the bench behind Atria, the design continues a little farther along the pathway with bees pollinating flowers and sharing them with birds, who are then sniffed by dogs being walked by their owners. Then come the squirrels who share their acorns with a dog and a turkey, followed further along the path by a turkey chasing a magical snake in the grass. Each character communicates with the others in their own way, surrounded by heart designs from different cultures to celebrate diversity in the neighborhood. At the entrance to Bianco Court, a directional marker of different animals that symbolize the kinds of people who come and go along the pathway: from a bird in flight symbolizing the bicyclists who ride through the greenbelt, to a bee symbolizing the students who continue past the green belt, pollinating out into the world. If the design were to continue into Hacienda Court, it would include a dandelion sprouting from entrance into the cul-de-sac, surrounded by butterflies and hearts.

Every River Flows to the Sea: Focusing on a water theme, this design was influenced by those from the neighborhood who love water and feel connected to farflung waterways as they walk our greenbelt, headed towrds the North Davis ditch. Starting with a rainbow trout near the bench behind Atria, the design continues with flowing water inspired by Japanese embroidery, along the pathway leading to Hacienda Court. Residents could follow along the path created by the waves, finding creatures familiar to the neighborhood like lizards, turkeys, egrets and birds, sprinkled throughout the water scene. A directional marker at Bianco Court would include a colorful sea turtle, and in Hacienda Court, the design would include a friendly child-like sun, smiling down on a sailboat headed out to sea, surrounded by wind, butterflies, and birds.

*Elemental: This colorful design would focus on elements in nature and the seasons, which change with the green belt. Near Atria Covell Gardens, powerful bindweed begins to crack up the concrete, introducing the elements of nature, the creatures found in the greenbelt, and the cultures who share our neighborhood. 

Heading south from Atria, butterflies fly in the wind, animals gather in the earth, fish and turtles swim through water, and flowers bloom and lizards crawl through the heat of fire. The directional marker near Bianco Court would include a Native American symbol for the four directions. At Hacienda Avenue, the water transforms into a Chinese-inspired water dragon spiral, surrounded by fish and plants, with birds and butterflies flying in from the north.
 
After the three designs were introduced, residents were separated into groups to discuss their favorite designs, and advocate for why it was the best!  This which was followed by the final vote.
 
The clear workshop winner was Elemental with 13 votes, followed by Every River Flows to the Sea with 5 votes and Love Grows Wild with 3 votes.
 
The neighbors then voted to change a few parts of the Elemental design, deciding to add:

• an egret native to the green belt
• clear NSEW markers on the compass design
• a sun or flame design into the fire element part of the mural
• a friendlier looking dragon
  

Designs are still subject to additional changes if needed from the City of Davis, nearby residents, and deeper cultural / ecological research.
 
Absentee voting will be open for 1 week, as a runoff between the top 2 drawings (Every River and Elemental). 
 
You can view drawings and vote for your favorite, stored in a portfolio at the mouth of Hacienda Cul-de-Sac until July 9.