People In the Neighborhood
Through a grant from the California Arts Council we will be creating mosaics for the Muzzio Mosaic Arts Center.
We sought proposals from youth artists or youth artist teams to create a vibrant and visually engaging designs to be translated into mosaics for the walls of the Muzzio Mosaic Arts Center located in Muzzio Park, 26 West Front St. This project aims to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the area, contribute to placemaking efforts, and celebrate the unique character of Watsonville
Project Design:
Designs from four High School artists were selected from 120 entries. The theme for the art was “People of the Neighborhood” 78 households were surveyed to choose the designs.
Things to know about the neighbors of Muzzio Park:
It is common for working adults to have 2-to 3 jobs in agriculture and service industries
The neighborhood is high-density housing (apartments, and trailer homes)
Most of the residents are from Mexico
Spanish is the primary language in most households
multigenerational living is common in the neighborhood
Selected Design #1
Viridiana Bonilla-Zamudio,
Aptos High School
My artwork fits the theme “people of the neighborhood” because it depicts the relationship between a mother and daughter and the community workers. This interaction is small and passing but echoes parents’ closeness with their children, especially during difficult times that require sacrifice. I truly believe the people at my park will like my piece because we’ve all experienced it—if not seen it. I hope you select my design because this is my first experience depicting something so prominent and meaningful in my childhood. I’d want people to see this mosaic and come to the same realization I have, that this moment is worth capturing.
Selected Design #2
Janet Rocha-Fernandez
Watsonville High School
My artwork fits the theme “People of The Neighborhood” because it has vibrant colors and many designs that represent their culture. For example, el papel picado and the monarch butterflies. This artwork represents the future of the children. In the center of the drawing, there’s a girl proudly wearing a graduation gown. She has a smile on her face which symbolizes her academic achievements. Besides her are her parents. Their faces are filled with pride and happiness, their eyes are sparkling as they admire their daughter.
Selected Design #3
Lizbeth Martínez-Meza
Watsonville High School
My artwork reflects the people in the community with its representation of hard-working farmers who contribute and bring benefit to the community. Overall, our community is filled with hard-working people from different areas around the world, and it is crucial to acknowledge everyone for the development and inclusivity of our community.
Selected Design #4
Jason Garcia-Menera
Watsonville High School
I made this floral design to go around the door and windows of the muzzio park. I was inspired from my hand-crafted pitiado belt.
Design Approval:
At the Watsonville City Arts Commission meeting on April 3rd the four submitted designs were approved. Youth interns and volunteers will spend approximately 800 hours fabricating mosaics. The intended installation date is late August 2025
Mosaics framing the windows and the doors will be directly adhered to the surface of the building. They will be 6” across, and appear a bit larger in these images than they will be in actuality. They will be made from landfill diverted tiles.
The three vignettes will each measure 4’ x 8’ and will each be mounted in frames so that if the future they could be moved if necessary.
The Muzzio is a prefab building. The mosaics will likely outlast the lifetime of the building. The window and door frame mosiacs would be sacrificed with the building at some point in the future, the 3 vignettes could be saved.
The frames will be made either of stainless steel or powder coated. The framed mosaics would weight approximately 100 pounds each. The framing/hanging system has been designed by a civil engineer for a previous project.