Artists : Robin Brailsford
Artist Bio Robin Brailsford is The Good Ideas Woman. Brailsford relishes large and complicated public art challenges, for which she charts clear and comprehensive solutions. Brailsford is at her best when given the latitude to imagine and then realize holistic conceptual and physical solutions for daunting civic and environmental requirements. For over 2 decades Robin Brailsford of Brailsford Public Art has been creating award-winning projects, on time, within budget and to the clients’ highest aesthetic and technical expectations. Robin holds an MFA in Sculpture, and a Patent for LithoMosiacs, a means to cast mosaics within monolithic concrete pours. She is a Founding and Board Member of Public Address. CURRENT and ONGOING November 2009 CITY OF LEMON GROVE, Lemon Grove, CA. With artist Wick Alexander, KTU+A and Kimley Horn I will be creating art for the Ultimate Mains Street Promenade - involving low-income housing, a mass transit plaza with Internet access and LEED Gold certification. Our work will include wind turbine towers, interpretive LithoMosaic ground plane elements and recreational opportunities for Senior Citizens. 2009 – 2010. METRO GOLDLINE, Los Angeles, CA. For the Irwindale light rail public art commission, my "Los Pionereos de la Rivera de San Gabriel", will tell the story of this unique Chicano community through a commissioned corrido, the names of all the city’s residents from a 1950’s census cut into a shadow-casting arbor, and 10,000 square feet Litho-Mosaic on the station platforms – with an image relating to family trees and alluvial fans. $350,000. Construction to begin in 2010. CAPITOL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECTS, Water Utilities Department, City of San Diego, CA. Since 1996 I have been the Public Artist on the $200,000,000, Miramar Water Treatment Plant. Working closely with 37 engineers on the CDM design team, as well as many architects and landscape architects, my "Stream of Consciousness/Body of Water" embraces the reservoir and enhances the public interpretation of the facility’s post 9/11 high security campus. My Rococo mosaic waterfall; ‘Taliesin’ retaining walls; ecru, teal and aqua-marine, epoxy terrazzo floors of aluminum "molecule men" and water word play, are finished and looking terrific. Twenty tons of rocks, which I selected, placed and set in a Zen-like river bed and beach shelf of "The Last Canyon of the Colorado", are also done. This spring my 3000 sq. feet of 2 tessellated copper quartzite in the "Last Canyon of the Colorado," was installed. The street entrance is stalled midway in the design phase, waiting out the City’s economic troubles. 1997 – 2011. PUBLIC ADDRESS, San Diego, CA. As a founding and board member of a first public art advocacy group in the USA (since 2000), I am now working with others artists nationally, to create equitable standards for artists and administrators alike. My ongoing contributions include," The 10 Commandments of Public Art", and "Public Art is a Verb."
LITHOMOSAIC PATENT, US Patent Office, Washington, D.C. I am the inventor of LithoMosaic, a process for setting mosaics in monolithic concrete pours and production. Collaborating with Lithocrete, Shaw & Sons and T.B Penick, we are now training and promoting internationally, this new art process, which liberates creativity and budgets for public art, landscape architecture and architecture. See: www.lithomosaics.com LITHOMOSAIC PRESENTATIONS SALT RIVER – MARICOPA INDIAN COMMUNITY, Scottsdale, AZ. 2009 NAVAJO NATION, Rough Rock Chapter, Rough Rock, AZ 2009 El PASO PUBLIC ART COMMISSION, EL Paso, TX 2009 ALBUQUERQUE CITY FATHERS, Albuquerque, NM 2009 LITHOMOSAIC WORKSHOPS UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, Gainesville, FLA. A two-week workshop to create a large LM for the campus, working with graduate students in two colleges – Arts and Construction Engineering. 2010 NATIONAL HISPANIC CULTURAL CENTER, Albuquerque, NM. Sponsored by the City of Albuquerque, Public Art Commission. 2009 HUBBELL TRADING POST NATIONAL MONUMENT, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, Ganado, AZ. Artist-in-residence, teaching LithoMosaics to Navajo artists. 2009 PUBLIC ADDRESS, Dulzura CA and San Diego, CA. 2009 LITHOMOSAIC CONFERENCES SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MOSAIC ARTISTS, San Diego, CA 2009 AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS, PUBLIC ART NETWORK, Seattle, WA 2009 AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, Chicago, CA 2009 LITHOMOSAIC AWARDS CONCRETE PAVEMENT AWARD, Decorative and Durable Design North Island Credit Union LithoMosaic, Honorable Mention (Commercial Category) San Diego, Ca. 2008 AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE AWARD, North Island Credit Union LithoMosaic, Hardscape, San Diego, CA 2008. CORNERSTONE EXCELLENCE AWARD North Island Credit Union, North Island Credit Union, LithoMosaic, San Diego, CA 2008 CURRENT PUBLIC ART JURIED REGISTRIES PINNELLAS COUNTY, Florida. Cultural Affairs and Parks and Recreation Department Pre-Qualified Artist List. 2008 – 2010. SANTA CRUZ, California – City Arts List. 2008 - 2010 LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Pre-qualified list for Major Infrastructure Projects, 2007- 2009. LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Pre-qualified list for Major Infrastructure Projects, 2007- 2009. LOS ANGELES CULTURAL AFFAIRS, City of Los Angeles, CA. Private Arts Development Fee, Pre-qualified Artist List. 2004 - 2009. SAN FRANCSICO ARTS COMMISSION, City of San Francisco, CA. Parks and Recreation, Public Art Registry. 2003 -2009. SELECTED COMPLETED PUBLIC ART COMMISSIONS SPRING MOUNTAIN RESERVE, United States Forest Service, Mt. Charleston, Nevada. I completed a written 200 page/3000 photograph study for SeaReach and the USFS, as the Arts Interpretive Specialist for the 312,000 Spring Mountain National Recreation Area. The USFS has created a unique opportunity for a design team to craft expansive conceptual thinking, and consider for the first time, public art as an integral element of an American National Forest. 2008 - 2009. ARTS COUNCIL, Frisco, Texas. Four parks projects in this RR era
suburb of Dallas have occupied much of 2005/2009 for me. Working LOS ANGELES CULTURAL AFFAIRS, Los Angeles, California. It has been my privilege to design three commissions for a developer’s new buildings in the LA’s chaotic garment district. One piece integrates neon and mosaic into a 35’ tall virtual water feature, another through a series of 12 pavers in the sidewalks, tells the story of one pair of red bellbottoms, from design inspiration to Shanghai fabrication to LA Garment District sale. The third posits a set of 12’ ruby red lips on a telescope tripod on a rooftop. $150,000. 2003 - 2007. THE WALL/LAS MEMORIAS, Los Angeles, CA. Lead artist, to design, coordinate and build world’s first memorial for Latinos who have died of AIDS. Land and hardscape plan, monument fabrication and 6 artists in residence at porcelain enameling factory. $500,000. Dedications by Dion Warwick 12/1/04, and by Governor Bill Richardson 9/6/07. HILLVIEW MEDICAL CENTER, Pacoima, CA. "Laura Scattering,"137 square feet of glass, gold and porcelain mosaics for reception areas of mental health outpatient facility. $48,000. Dedicated 5/27/03. PHOENIX ARTS COMMISSION, City of Phoenix, AZ. The 12 bus bay, Ed Pastor Transit Mall was a collaboration between myself as Lead Artist and DEA Planners and Engineers, and Durant Architects. My artwork "transit/urban/garden" considers 10 million years of the site’s natural and agricultural history, and includes fountains, a Lithocrete‘river’ and a 545’ x 30’ x 18’ canopy. $3.5 million construction budget. Dedicated 2/22/03. BIG BLUE BUS and the DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, City of Santa Monica, CA. Working with Amphion Environmental, this 11 block urban bus transit mall – "River of Life," explores Pacific Rim connections, and includes custom shelters, Yuzen mosaics, Lithocrete intersections and Robert Lang origami bronzes. $13.3 million construction budget. Dedicated 6/22/02. PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, City of San Diego, CA., "BIRD PARK" is an entire 6-acre site within Balboa Park, sculpted with art, landscape and hardscape into a Perchiform bird and her nest. Working with WRT and ONA landscape architects, her beak as a patio, her gizzard a tot lot etc. Site of the hugely popular BIRD PARK SUMMER CONCERT SERIES, community members are raising funds to complete 9 public art elements, including a bird’s eye gazebo. $500,000 public art budget. 1994 - . ENGINEERING AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, City of San Diego, CA. Hollister Street Bridge. "ARCADIA/UTOPIA," Historic landscapes on porcelain enameled steel and sculpted bridge façade. Simon Wong Engineers, Overall budget $3.3 million. 1999. COMMISSION FOR ARTS AND CULTURE, City of San Diego, CA.
TRAFFIC ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, City of San Diego, CA.. "Processional Passage," landscape, street paving, mosaics and steel elements with and for high school students about the Tree of Life. Overall budget: $300,000. 1997. PUBLIC CORPORATION FOR THE ARTS. Long Beach, CA. "Street Park Parable," with Jon Cichetti- landscape architect, and Frances Wosmek - poet. Landscape, poetry, mosaics and reflective vinyl animals as symbols of our humanity. Project budget: $300,000. Commissioned, designed, built and installed in one year - 1997. SACRAMENTO METROPOLITAN ARTS COMMISSION, Sacramento, CA. "Yosemite Falls," sculptural relief linking the state’s history of natural riches, photography and government - for the main stairwell of the Sacramento Convention Center. $10,000. 1997. CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS, Coronado, CA. "Yantra," 2 Raku, slate and shell mosaics with artist Wick Alexander revealing site-specific food webs. $12,000. 1996. NATIONAL FOREST SERVICE, Big Bear Visitor’s Center, Sky Forest, CA. Designer of a sculpture plaza explaining the unique circumstances of So. Cal. mountains. Topographical bronze mountain ‘tables’ and stone ‘city’ chairs are set on a map of southern California. Awaiting $200,000 Federal funding. 1994. COUNTY Of SAN DIEGO and CITY OF IMPERIAL BEACH, Imperial Beach, CA. "Ultra-Marine and "Aqua-Marine." Site-specific beach mosaics with youth and senior community members. $10,000. 1991 and 1992. METRO ART, Los Angeles, CA. "Time and Presence." Pierced and painted steel canopies about life on earth before man – for the Staples Center/Convention Center, light rail station. $50,000. 1991. SELECTED PERSONAL and PROFESSIONAL HONORS CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATION, Southern California, Public Works category: WINNER - Miramar Water Treatment Facility, City of San Diego, CA. 2008 WESTERN COUNCIL OF CONSTRUCTION CONSUMERS, "Excellence in Design, Engineering and Construction " for "River of Life" and the Downtown Transit Mall, Santa Monica, CA. 2003. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA,READY - MIXED CONCRETE ASSOCIATION, "Cornerstone Award - for excellence in the application of concrete in the Downtown Transit Mall Intersection," for "River of Life," Santa Monica, CA. 2003. AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS, "Imperial and San Diego Counties ‘Bridge Project of the Year" for the Hollister Street Bridge– "ARCADIA/UTOPIA." 1999. AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS, San Diego, CA.
WOMEN TOGETHER, Catholic Charities, Episcopal Community Services and the YWCA. "Women who have Contributed Significantly to the Art World." 1998. SAN DIEGO HOME AND LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE, "San Diegans of the Year," 1995. CALTRANS, Sacramento CA. "1994 Excellence in Cultural Enhancement," for "Time and Presence." NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, Washington, D.C. "$20,000 Art in Public Places Grant," for"El Portal de la Historia," 1990. SELECTED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS – Lecturer to Public Art Class and then again to the community, as part of a LV Arts Commission Lecture Series. 2008 CALTRANS, State Route Operational Improvement Project, Citizens Oversight Committee, Public Design Team member. 2007 - . LA METRO, CA. Juror for light rail public art projects, Green Line 1987, Expo Line, 2007. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNA, SAN MARCOS, CA. Guest Critic in Sculpture classes. 2007. PUBLIC ADDRESS – Artists Shaping Public Spaces, San Diego, CA.
Founding/Board Member of professional public art alliance. 2000 - WOODBURY UNIVERSITY, San Diego, CA. Guest critic in architecture classes. 2000 – 2003. UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE, Big Bear, CA. As-needed, think tank member contributing interpretive and public art advice for USFS affiliated properties throughout the West. 1994 - current. AMERICAN SOCIETY OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, San Diego, Chapter, panelist. 2002. NETHERLANDS INSTITUTE, Theo Van Doesburg House, Paris, France. Speaker. 2002. NATIONAL SMART GROWTH CONFERENCE, San Diego, CA. Presenter. 2002. ART< CULTURE< NATURE, International Public Art Conference, Flagstaff, AZ. Presentation. 2001. SOCIETY OF AMEICAN REGISTERED ARCHITECTS, San Diego Chapter, Speaker. 2001. CALIFORNIA WOMEN IN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, San Diego, CA. Panelist. 1993. AMERICAN FESTIVAL, Centro Cultural de la Raza, San Diego, CA. "Cross poly nation, trans poly nation: Art and Community in Action Conference." Panelist. 1993. YOUNG AT ART, San Diego City Schools, Regional Manager and Artist in Residence for program placing visual artists in elementary schools. 1989 – 1992. SUSHI, San Diego, CA. Visual Artist Coordinator for gallery and public art program. 1991-1992. CHRISTO, "The Umbrellas, Joint Project for Japan and the USA," Lebec, CA. Member of Installation Crew 203. 1991. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY, Los Angeles, CA. Head of 3D Area – taught 3D Design, Glass, Sculpture, Jewelry At History and HARRISON STUDIO, Del Mar, CA. Studio Assistant to Mentors Helen Mayer and Newton Harrison. 1987-1988. STUART COLLECTION, University of California, San Diego. Sculptor on Terry Allen and Nam June Paik installations. 1985-1987. UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO, Albuquerque, NM. Instructor of undergraduate 3D Design and Sculpture. 1981-1985. SELECTED EXHIBITIONS MAIN BIENALE, Utrecht, Holland. Digital "Friendship" installation. 2005. SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE, Chula Vista, CA. "Artists and Architects," group exhibition. 2004. CHAPMAN UNVERSITY, Orange, CA. "Unbuilt Southern California," group exhibition. 1998. SAN DIEGO MUSEUM OF ART, San Diego, CA. "On Our Own," group exhibition. 1996. HUNTINGTON BEACH ART CENTER, Huntington Beach, CA. "Community Properties," group exhibition. 1994. TRAVEL Raised on the ocean in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts - since 1979 I have been moving steadily west and south. I have traveled throughout the United States, southern Canada, northern Mexico, Europe, Japan and the West Indies. I have both US and EU passports. I now find myself settled on the US/Mexico border, in a home and studio of my own design with Public Architects, on 13 chaparral covered acres. TRAINING/RESIDENCIES CREATIVE CAPITAL, Commission for Arts and Culture, City of San Diego, CA. "Intensive Internet Workshop," 2009. HUBBELL NATIONAL MONUMENT, Navajo Nation. Artist in Residence. 2009 JAPAN ARTS TOUR, "Oomoto" Kameoka and Kyoko, Japan 2006 CREATIVE CAPITOL, "Professional Development Workshop, San Diego, 2006; San Francisco, CA. 2004. THE BANFF CENTER, Banff, Alberta, Canada. "Big City." 2000. ATLANTIC CENTER FOR THE ARTS, New Smyrna Beach, FLA. "Neon," 1989. STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT NEW PALTZ, "Italian Mosaics Study Tour." 1984. PILCHUCK, Stanwood WA. "Warm Glass." 1981 and 1982. MAINE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP, "35mm Techniques." 1977 EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO, Albuquerque, NM.
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, Syracuse, NY.
TYLER SCHOOL OF ART, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. Metalsmithing and blown glass. 1974. |
