Morgan Hill
– A little girl sitting on a large mushroom reading a story to
two animal friends will greet visitors at the new library this
summer.
Morgan Hill – A little girl sitting on a large mushroom reading a story to two animal friends will greet visitors at the new library this summer.
The whimsical 4-foot-high sculpture is the work of Morgan Hill artist Evelyn Davis and a symbol of the community’s pride in the $19-million facility.
Titled Once Upon a Mushroom, Davis spent four months sculpting the piece out of clay. On Friday, she delivered its five sections to a Berkeley foundry. After the wax molds are made and the bronze is poured, she’ll oversee the final coloring and assembly. If all goes well she said the piece would be ready for display at the library’s grand opening July 21.
Known for her bronze bobcat “Liberty” that adorns the Wildlife Trail by the Centennial Recreation Center, Davis said the new piece reflects memories of her childhood.
“When I was little I spent a lot of time outdoors reading books,” said Davis, whose home studio is located in rural unincorporated Morgan Hill, overlooking a tree-lined creek.
While the sculpture also celebrates the city’s mushroom-growing heritage, Davis describes it as “being carried away by stories and the freedom of imagination.”
Morgan Hill’s new 28,000-square-foot library is under construction next to the existing one on Peak Avenue. The Morgan Hill Redevelopment Agency is financing the $19-million project. The Santa Clara County Library will operate the facility as one of its eight branches.
A groundswell of public support is making artwork such as Davis’ sculpture possible for the new library.
The Beyond Books Campaign, organized by the Friends of the Morgan Hill Library, has raised $140,000 for sculptures, murals, multi-media equipment, a children’s puppet stage and other enriching elements. The group’s fund-raising target is $180,000.
Thanks to the community’s strong support, Carol O’Hare, president of the Friends of the Morgan Hill Library, said Morgan Hill’s library would be the first in the county system to include its own collection of artwork.
In addition to Davis’ outdoor sculpture, the group has commissioned a hanging art piece and a 5-by-5-foot painting for the lobby and murals for both the children’s and adults’ areas.
The artwork went through a screening process and received approval from the Friends of the Morgan Hill Library, the Morgan Hill Library, Culture and Arts Commission and the Morgan Hill City Council.
“These pieces aren’t just ones we ordered out of a catalog,” O’Hare said. “They were chosen to reflect local themes, using local artists as much as we could.”
Mike Johnson, of Johnson Lumber Company, and Paul Swing, of Techcon Landscape Construction, co-sponsored Davis’ piece, which cost $24,000. Swing has also pledged time as well as materials to install the sculpture outside the library’s main entrance.
“The library is a great public asset to Morgan Hill,” Johnson said. “The sculpture adds some uniqueness to the building and some local flair, especially with the mushroom. When I saw the picture showing what it would look like, I knew I wanted to get involved.”
