VIEW LARGE-SCALE MOSAIC PATIO INSTALLED BY ARTIST CHRISTINE SCHILLING AT SPRINGFIELD BOTANICAL GARDENS

Artist Christine Schilling and Brian Tidwell of Tidwell Concrete installed a 20-foot mosaic patio using a process brand-new to this area yesterday. The installation is in the southwest corner of the Springfield Botanical Gardens in Close Memorial Park near the southern parking lot.

“It’s a remarkable and acrobatic process,” said Schilling. “The large-scale mosaic has been six months in the making and is an ever-blooming bouquet of local plants and animals.”

The patio, the focal point of a new Friends of the Garden-created sitting garden, is funded by Ruth Kelley and her family. The Patio Garden is envisioned as a convenient, accessible, vibrant gathering place and welcoming entrance into the Springfield Botanical Gardens.

The 20 themed gardens, 15 special collections and five naturalized areas within the 114-acre Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park, 2400 S. Scenic Ave., are created and maintained by the volunteer members of the Friends of the Garden, Master Gardeners of Greene County and other volunteer organizations and the staff of the Springfield-Greene County Park Board.   Information provided by Jeanne Duffey, June 6, 2012

Mosaic taking shape at Springfield park
Written by News-Leader Staff
Published June 9, 2012

News-Leader article link with photograph gallery> http://www.news-leader.com/article/20120609/NEWS01/306090028/mosaic-close-memorial-park-mosaicarose?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE&nclick_check=1

Dozens of tiny ceramic tiles already make up part of a redbud blossom in a new mosaic at Close Memorial Park.

Christine Schilling of MosaicaRose Studio designed the mosaic, which was donated by Ruth Kelley who wanted to enhance the park. She and employees of Tidwell Concrete worked on the project Friday morning.

The 20-foot circular mosaic is made up of tiny ceramic tiles set in concrete. Onlookers watched Friday morning as Schilling and workers from Tidwell Concrete worked.

Kelley, along with her late husband John, ran a popular furniture store in Springfield called Mulhollan from 1956 to 1998. She said she made the donation “to show appreciation to the community, for all the community has meant to us.”

The Kelleys previously made a donation that helped make the entrance way to Founders Park possible, she said.

Close Memorial Park is located at 2400 South Scenic near the Botanical Gardens and Nathanael Greene Park. The process of installing the mosaic will take several more days.

BONUS:KY3 Photo Gallery Close Memorial Park> http://www.ky3.com/galleries/ky3-photos-close-memorial-park-20120608,735,5990294.photogallery?index=ky3-photos-close-memorial-park-20120608-002