Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Magic Doors


While I was at the Glendale Foothills Library, I wandered around and spotted these wonderful doors leading to the children's reading room.  They were created by artist Kathy Bradford of Lyons Colorado.  She is an award winning artist who works in glass doing mostly etching, fusing and sandblasting.  She was commissioned by the city of Glendale to create The Magic Doors.  She says in her artist's statement that she wanted to "give the feeling of exploration, encourage a sense of discovery, and nurture a delight in reading and learning".  The glass panels are sand carved with circular glass discs fused to the panels.  One circle contains an image of the Earth.  Some of the discs create color shifts while others turn an image upside down.  The doors give an approaching child the feeling of stepping into another world.  The same feeling one gets reading a book!

18 comments:

  1. Wow, that is a door to remember!
    Unique, and not something we see much of.
    Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Perfect. What a nice touch. Today, I suspect that some local governments might shy away from anything creative or perhaps a little more costly than plain vanilla, but it is decorative and architectural touches like this that add to life.

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  3. These are so unique. I'm curious about the number 4 in one of the discs. Or am I just seeing something on the other side of the door?

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  4. It really makes you want to go in.

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  5. I just read a poem about "flinging the door open to the world." and this is certainly a perfect illustration. The students will definitely be charmed by the door, if not, a little later as they begin to discern differences in life. How different this visual door is!

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  6. There's definitely a touch of magic about these doors, what a wonderful find Sharon.

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  7. Beautiful doors, very creative

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  8. What wonderful doors and the fact that they're in a library makes them all the more wonderful. I don't want to see libraries become a thing of the past. Books are such an adventure waiting to take us places far away and exciting or right next door. :)

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  9. Those are great. A real treat to the eye.

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  10. Hi Sharon,
    With the girls back in school I have a little more time to peek at some of my favorite blogs. We have listened to many stories behind those doors. Foothills branch was one of our favorites until Phoenix opened their Agave branch closer to our home. Take care.

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  11. Who wouldn't want to go through doors like that! There has to be something wonderful on the other side!

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  12. They are magical, Sharon. If only the etching were done, they would be quite routine. But, the round randomly placed circles of colored glass jump from the doors like magic bubbles.

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  13. Wow, all the libraries I've been in are pretty boring. I am inspired to find some uniqueness in KC libraries.

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  14. I wouldn't be able to resist going through those doors

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