The concrete installed near the historic front entrance of the Children's Museum during the Introduction to Stamped Concrete workshop led by Doug Bannister will be used for the children to stage performances. Products and materials include: Arizona Flagstone stamp; background texture: Light sandstone with dolphin border art, jade color; Hardener liquid release; EZ-Accent water-base stains in slate and turquoise color; EZ-Tique water-base antiquing in Oceanside and oyster color.
Rainbow and Clouds on elevator landing at Children's Museum of Phoenix.
Abrahamson of Wholesale floors leads a workshop using American Decorative Concrete Dyes in gold, eggplant, pine green, and red oxide. The floor was polished using Diamatic equipment.
Bob and Lee Ann Harris completed the exterior courtyard at the Children's Museum of Phoenix.
A Collaboration of Efforts
As a lasting gift to the city of Phoenix, all the works showcased in this article have been created by teams of decorative concrete contractors working with trainers of the event. These creative examples of decorative concrete as public art are now a permanent part of displays at the Children's Museum of Phoenix, 215 North 7th St, Phoenix, Arizona. Bent Mikkelsen took a leading role in logistics and coordination with the museum. Countless individuals donated time and energy to the project both in site preparation and in hands-on work. Many manufacturers made generous donations to make the project possible.
Inside the Children's Museum of Phoenix, a koi pond floor mural created with Miracote products has shining water so realistic it baffles the children who try to splash in it. Julio Hallack of Concrete by Hallack and fine artist Shay Davis worked alongside Trevor Foster and Andrew Watt of Miracote to create a masterpiece. They came to Phoenix in early February to install a mural that tricks the eye, sometimes called a "Trompe-l'œil" mural.
Children who step out of the elevator onto the second floor Sky Landing alight on the clouds and dance along the rainbows created by artisan Shellie Rigsby who used dyes and Kemiko stains. To ensure long-term durability and low maintenance, Kemiko representatives Dave Barreto and Harry Crum assisted in the project and applied their Generation II RapidShield™ UV instant cure finish over the stained fantasy landscape. Nancy Stice, the Director of Exhibits for the Children's Museum of Phoenix, envisioned this dreamscape when she was sitting in a flying bathtub looking down on the landing from the new climber that is being installed at the museum.
The Concrete Decor Show management decided to make the Children's Museum of Phoenix the site for hands-on workshops and demonstrations on at the Concrete Decor Show on March 17-19, 2010. Through this collaboration, the museum received new patios, interior floor renovations, artistic murals and other features that will bring joy to young visitors for many years to come.
Inside, Jeff Abrahamson of Wholesale Floors teamed with Diamatic to dry grind and polish heavily pitted floors as part of a total renovation in the break room. A densifier was added to the floor for improved long-term durability. Dyes were used to add color. To improve slip resistance, the final surface was polished to a 1500 grit with Diamatic equipment.
Trevor Foster of Miracote teamed up with Julio Hallack to provide back-to-back resurfacing workshops in English and Spanish. A sun provides the focal point in a field of soothing blue and lavender springtime colors that brighten a basement break room. Tamryn Doolan of Surface Gel Tek provided a Flatoo graphics workshop appropriately located in the arts and crafts room.
Bob Harris of Decorative Concrete Institute completed the stamping and staining work he started in January in an exterior courtyard.
Outside the old school entrance, freshly placed stamped concrete was installed by Doug Bannister of the Stamp Store as part of a workshop he led to provide an introduction to stamped concrete. In January, Steven Ochs and Gerald Taylor completed a colorful origami snake on the bus arrivals sidewalk where children line up outside the museum.
Throughout the renovations, Nancy Stice who calls herself a "daydream believer" collaborated with the artisans and concrete contractors to create a series of new projects to meet the educational objectives of the museum: to engage the mind, the body and the imagination of each child who visits the museum.
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