Photo Credit: Mike Frey

The City of Mercer Island and the Mercer Island Youth & Family Services Foundation invite you to the Luther Burbank Open House, a community event, on Sunday, October 2nd from 1 to 4 p.m.

The Open House and Community Event will feature the new mosaic murals installed in Luther Burbank Park.  The artists behind the mosaics – Seattle artist José Orantes and Mercer Island resident and mosaic artist, Sandy Glass – will attend the event to share their experience creating the murals with visitors.

The mosaic installations include nearly 250 square feet of mosaic artwork in the playground area of the park. Three mosaic installations were created with local students in grades 3 through 8; and many of the student artists will attend the Open House with their families.

A fourth installation was created by Orantes, based on one of his mural paintings, and Mercer Island resident and mosaic artist, Sandy Glass. This “Birds in Flight” mosaic stands 5-foot high by 38-foot long and was created out of 10 mm (1/4-inch) glass tiles that appear pixilated up close but come together from a distance like an impressionist painting.

The Luther Burbank Playground Mosaic Art Enhancement was proposed by Sandy Glass and funded by the Mercer Island Arts Council. The 3rd- 5th grade workshops, not fully funded in the grant, received supplemental support by the Mercer Island Community Fund as well as from a private donation to honor the memory of Aaron and Mickie Freed. (Learn more about the project at playgroundmosaic.wordpress.com.)

The Open House event will also include tours of the red brick building at Luther Burbank Park, as well as festive treats, family activities, glass pumpkin sale, prizes, and more.