Permanent Art Collection Fallbrook Library
Donor Wall by Betsy Schulz
The tile mural imagery, colors and words in the large Donor Wall panels represent the spirit of Fallbrook. Between the three large donor wall panels are donor tiles and quote tiles reflecting the important influence that books and libraries have on people’s lives. Local library users were invited to participate in this project and created small word titles that became the background of this Wall.
Historical Wall of Prints by Dixon Fish
The Historical Wall of Prints in the great room depicts the rich history of Fallbrook and the surrounding areas. Inked etching plates of copper, zinc and acrylic float over horizontal acrylic and aluminum shapes that reflect our local landscape. The images on the etching plates describe the people and events from the historical past as well as the present. The landscape shapes are engraved with native plants and animals.
For an interesting interactive experience, visitors can do rubbings from the plates.
Diaphanous Grove by Michael Stutz
The Diaphanous Grove in undulating woven bronze and stainless steel, incorporates the textures and shapes that define the Fallbrook region: the diaphanous glow of a red tail hawk’s wings seen against the sun, the undulating flow of the Santa Margarita River, the rocky edges of our granite mountains, the cut core of avocados and oranges, the blending of water and fire that nourish and destroy and the constant forces of death and rebirth – woven together in our bold and fragile landscape.
Fiber Art by Karen Cunagin
The giant soft sculptures in the Children’s
Activity Area honor the agricultural heritage
of our community. Vibrant color and realistic texture were used in creating these whimsical, giant flora to animate the library. The fruit concepts for this project were happily influenced by “Eating the Alphabet,” a board book by painter and collagist Lois Ehlert. Their resulting ripe bounty is meant to appeal to young and old alike and all those who love books. The excellent upholstery skills of Roberto Ramirez were invaluable in the construction of the sculptures. Any activity under the canopy of springy sunflower petals should bring delight as both readers and listeners find fresh perspective in their surroundings as well as in their books. This bloom represents the ever-new opportunity for each of us to blossom and enrich our community.
Fallbrook Friends by Marsha Brook
The bronze sculpture of a woman sharing a book with a child was donated by Irv Handleman as a memorial to his late wife, Carrie, who volunteered many hours at the library.
The Turning Page Trellis by Christopher Pardell
The design for “Turning Page Trellis” was inspired by the iconic line formed when a book lays open, by the drape of a page, that elegant line that calls to mind the wonder and growth we find in each new chapter of our lives. The turn of a page holds so much promise, so much mystery. What shall we learn? Who shall we become? The graceful trellis is constructed of durable materials: structural, galvanized and stainless steels.
Visual Garden Fence and Gate by Peter Mitten
The fence and gate for the visual garden needed to be a planar “field” of imagery, and so flat leaf and avocado shapes were chosen as if one was looking through a canopy of an avocado grove. This familiar sight for the people of Fallbrook satisfied the structural and safety requirements for a functional barrier. The work is cut from steel, stretching slightly over 10 feet from end to end, including a gate. The final finish is a rust color, near in tone to the colors chosen for the building, and makes a lovely silhouette of space and steel shapes around the Visual Garden.
Art of Knowledge by Robin Vojak
The stoneware ceramic floor mural in the Poet’s Patio was inspired by the sophisticated contemporary feeling of the library architecture, art work, and sculpture. Rusty brown and golden yellow as well as aqua greens and blues along with the natural color of the cast bronze are colors replicated in nature as well as complementary to the building and permanent artwork.
The tile used for the mural is a high-fire stoneware clay body. It is very dense and durable. Each piece was hand cut. Special attention was made to the creating of the design to minimize the amount of negative space. The glaze colors are a combination of matte and gloss finishes that work well with the slight textures found in parts of the design.
Casual Reader by Jim Helms
The inspiration for “Casual Reader” comes from the memory of reading a special book. Your location while reading becomes
unimportant as you are absorbed by this book. Placing the sculptural reader on a rock reminds the observer that where you are reading is unimportant compared to where you are in the book. The sculpture’s abstracted form, created with recycled steel, blends the reader and the book.
Etruscan Sentinal II by Andrew Fagan
Andrew Fagan retired to Fallbrook after teaching at El Camino Community College in Torrance for 30 years. He helped establish the sculpture program and a foundry there. He was an inspiration to his students and known as an influential sculptor and professor.
His passion was marble carving which he studied with Bio Pomodoro, one of the finest stone carving artisans in Italy.
Etruscan Sentinal II was sculpted from Mandrogone marble which is quarried in Italy.
Growing Sentiments in Sediment by Betsy Schulz
The layers of handmade tiles, found objects, pebbles and more, represent the sedimentary layers of the earth. Poems and quotes screened onto tiles express the theme in words. How we live on the land and use it will eventually get recycled or reinterpreted into something new. From this soil grow plants, communities, new ideas, libraries.
Poets Patio Gate and Seating by James Hubbell
Because James Hubbell feels that libraries are one of civilization’s great inventions, fostering community and democracy, he was pleased to fashion his fourth library art installation here in Fallbrook. Playing on the architecture in a friendly way his design, using glass and natural tiles, marks it as an entrance that does not compete with the main entrance. It is James’s hope that over time the entrance will be given a story and a name that will come from those who enter.
Orchid Table by Michael O’Brian
The functional requirements of the Orchid Table were two: an oval top and casters on each leg. The resulting design was a table of pleasing form and balance fashioned with creative placements and species of veneer including bird’s eye maple, ash and cherry woods and polished aluminum and acrylic. Still something was missing – a sense of excitement. The answer – NOTCHES! The table took more than 1,000 hours to create and was finished with 12 coats of hand rubbed lacquer.
Owl by Ron Rambadt
The bronze sculpture began as an exercise in simplicity. The challenge presented was to represent an owl using the fewest pieces of metal possible, while still creating a sense of balance and tension throughout the entire sculpture. The hope was, that by combining the recognizable image of the owl with the monumental scale of the work, it could encourage the viewer to spend some time exploring the more subtle, abstract composition. Much as the title or cover of a book invites the reader to seek the endless possibilities within, the owl beckons the viewer to learn more from every angle. This sculpture was donated by Helene Ross in memory of her husband William E. Ross.
Story Time by Manuelita Brown
Community is fundamental to Manuelita Brown’s sculpting process. Friends, family and community members are used as models. Local foundries are utilized to cast her bronze sculptures. She creates public works with the intention that they will become an invaluable part of a community.
Her primary goals are to contribute sculpture works to American imagery that educate and give expression to the human spirit, and to convey the strength, character, and beauty of her own people, the descendants of African survivors in the Americas.
Map of art locations in the Fallbrook library. Click to enlarge