Transforming the space into a functional gathering place for students and the community, this project includes a forty-four foot curved wall with a historical mural on the interior surface, a raised earth mound with seating, walkway, lighting, and a dry wash with desert landscaping.

Within the green, grassy fields of the Royal Palm schoolyard lies a monument to the desert and its legacy. The piece gives the sense of a landscape physically while leaving one with an impression of the fragility of time on the land itself. Influenced by the need to conserve water while celebrating the desert, the work does much more than contrast the field in which it is placed.

Physically, Phoenix: A Landscape in Time is an island within the schoolyard. Topping a mound of raised earth, a forty-four foot walls dons a mural detailing a trip through time in the desert. The painting is a reference to “La Ciudad”, a Hohokam city that is the basis of what we now know as Phoenix. Reading the mural from left to right, visitors are taken through Arizona scenes from the turn of the century to the present day. Images of Roosevelt Dam and the Adams Hotel (icons of early twentieth century Phoenix) are prominent in the beginning stages of the wall. Through portraits of native dancers to a wide display of the mountain ranges, the mural ends at the present day with images of Biosphere and the Mt. Graham Observatories. Each idea chosen was meant to spark interest in both historical and conservation issues within the area.

Protruding in the center of the schoolyard, the island resembles an archeological dig, bringing visitors to feel as though they are discovering a treasure within the desert. The location of this piece allows for an educational experience in the outdoors while engaging students on their own campus. Johann Sellenraad, the artist and designer of the project, received assistance from the seventh grade natural science classes at the Royal Palm School while working on this project. The artist worked closely with the Washington Elementary School District as well. In each case the project was used as a means to follow the school’s curriculum, aiding students in the learning process.

About the Artist
Johan Sellenraad is a painter from New York. Prior to his work with the Phoenix Arts Commission, Mr. Sellenraad had completed several public art commissions. He has a strong interest in local history, hence his enthusiasm for working with this project.