The Wiezmann Day School at the Pasadena Jewish Temple will dedicate a new garden and play yard this Sun., May 6, at 4 PM. The dedication will include the unveiling of a beautiful new tile wall and ceramic tree mosaic, created by the Weizmann students under the direction of Weizmann’s art teacher Ellen Dinerman, who herself has a Master of Fine Arts degree in Ceramics and Sculpture from Claremont Graduate School.
Part of the dedication includes “Cindy’s Playground,” an outdoor learning space with picnic tables, and sport court.
The event will mark the culmination of Weizmann’s the Field of Dreams project to create an outdoor nature classroom, garden, and play out of an area that had been covered with patchy grass and blacktop, and is usually used for overflow parking. “This started as a grass roots movement in every sense of the term,” said school parent and Parent Organization chair Katharine Higgins. “The parents and staff were really passionate about transforming the space into one where members of the school and synagogue communities could congregate, socialize, learn and play in a beautiful setting.”
The initial design concept was donated by PJTC member Amy Nettleton of Elemental Landscapes. The space includes a play yard, an outdoor classroom with tree stump seats, picnic tables and eating area, and a garden — all in a naturalistic setting with native trees, rocks and plants, that echo nearby Eaton Canyon.
In addition, the students were intimately involved in creating the tree mosaic. In preparation, Weizmann elementary school students studied local Pasadena trees and the ecosystems they provide for other plants, insects and animals. The middle school students assisted in critical design decisions of texture and color, giving the tree a naturalistic feel. Then, each class had an opportunity to create and later grout mosaic pieces—leaves, insects, flowers, and animals—to the tree trunk and branches. Each piece was hand-sculpted in clay, fired in our kiln, glazed, and then re-fired to achieve its final (spectacular) form.
from the Weizamann Day School/Pasadena Jewish Temple
The Wiezmann Day School at the Pasadena Jewish Temple will dedicate a new garden and play yard this Sun., May 6, at 4 PM. The dedication will include the unveiling of a beautiful new tile wall and ceramic tree mosaic, created by the Weizmann students under the direction of Weizmann’s art teacher Ellen Dinerman, who herself has a Master of Fine Arts degree in Ceramics and Sculpture from Claremont Graduate School.
The event will mark the culmination of Weizmann’s the Field of Dreams project to create an outdoor nature classroom, garden, and play out of an area that had been covered with patchy grass and blacktop, and is usually used for overflow parking. “This started as a grass roots movement in every sense of the term,” said school parent and Parent Organization chair Katharine Higgins. “The parents and staff were really passionate about transforming the space into one where members of the school and synagogue communities could congregate, socialize, learn and play in a beautiful setting.”
The initial design concept was donated by PJTC member Amy Nettleton of Elemental Landscapes. The space includes a play yard, an outdoor classroom with tree stump seats, picnic tables and eating area, and a garden — all in a naturalistic setting with native trees, rocks and plants, that echo nearby Eaton Canyon.
In addition, the students were intimately involved in creating the tree mosaic. In preparation, Weizmann elementary school students studied local Pasadena trees and the ecosystems they provide for other plants, insects and animals. The middle school students assisted in critical design decisions of texture and color, giving the tree a naturalistic feel. Then, each class had an opportunity to create and later grout mosaic pieces—leaves, insects, flowers, and animals—to the tree trunk and branches. Each piece was hand-sculpted in clay, fired in our kiln, glazed, and then re-fired to achieve its final (spectacular) form.