Client: NorfolkArts

Overview

“The Treehouse Orchestra” was the last mosaic we completed as part of the public art contract we had with Norfolk Virginia. Located at Larchmont Elementary School, this mosaic is over nine feet tall and 17 feet long.

The design was inspired by the steelpan band I heard practicing after school when I visited. I was struck by the focus and commitment these young people had to their musical studies. Music is a big part of the school’s culture. This mosaic features actual instruments that the students can play when interacting with the piece. There’s a cymbal, cowbell, and triangle that hover just off the mosaic, so they can ring out when struck by passers by.

This mosaic features almost every variety of stone we have in our arsenal. The steelpan design features colors and patterns found in the Phoenix Rising, our first Norfolk mosaic. The mosaic’s title is borrowed from a band I was in years ago.

Goals

The mosaic is in the main hallway of the school, just outside the administrative office where students and visitors all check in. The mosaic is a central part of the students and teachers' daily experience of the school.