El Tesora De La Bahia Falsa

Category: Statue

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Review: This environmental installation is an exceptional example of an Artist's Designed Play Scape/Playground. It conveys the story of the former San Diego’s former Bahia Falsa or False Bay Estuary, at one time Southern California’s largest viable wetland. It allows children to discover native species and develop a love and understanding for the area's history and the environment without preaching or heavy handiness. Designed for children from age 2 to 7, and the library by architect Manuel Oncina is one the nation's best branch Libraries.

Description: City of San Diego Public Library Play scape: Collaborative project by Artists Jim Wilsterman and Machi Uchida. Designed, fabricated and installed as an environmental public Art Project and contextual children's playground for the Earl & Birdie Taylor Branch library. This site-specific work uses local lore, mythology and images of the sea life to teach children about San Diego’s former Bahia Falsa or False Bay Estuary, at one time Southern California’s largest viable wetland (this area was dredged by the Army Corps of Engineers from 1946 to 1959 to create San Diego’s Mission Bay). The work represents native inter-tidal zone marine Mollusks unique to the San Diego Area, and are designed to work with a curriculum in the adjacent Pacific Beach Earl & Birdie Taylor Branch library. The project budget was $25,000.00 and was completed in 1996 (future post-project plans include a children’s curriculum and interpretive book for the adjacent library).