Beatrice Coron's artwork for the new Santa Teresa Branch Library consists of three separate artwork elements built around the theme "Cultivate Your Mind in the Orchard of Knowledge."

Tree of Knowledge is three glass panes in the wall of windows that frames the Library's lobby. The artwork builds on the idea of age rings in the cross-section of a tree trunk: images in each concentric ring speak to a specific period of history and growth in the region, from the earliest period of indigenous inhabitants to the present. The panes are of handmade art glass; varied treatments were used in the glassmaking process to fuse distinct images and patterns into the different rings in the design. The panes are placed so that both children and adults can view the work at close range.

Bibliotree is a tall flourishing tree made of water jet cut steel. The cut outs in the trunk are letters from the many alphabets contained in the Library's collection. On the lower branches of the tree are books and objects associated with reading; these continue onto the higher branches, which also contain objects representing newer forms of media. In this way the work suggests a developmental progression:  the roots of language in letters and alphabets flourish into literature and on into other media. The trunk is backed in Corten steel and the foliage in copper; over time these will oxidize to brown and green respectively, adding another dimension to the Bibliotree's appearance. Bibliotree is located within the landscaped area adjacent to Library's front entry.

Orchard Walk, 26 thematic sidewalk insets made of stainless steel and flamed granite, are embedded in the concrete along the walkway that runs between Santa Teresa Blvd. and the Library entrance. Each inset features a literary or media reference that has a different fruit in the title, along with a corresponding fruit image;   the titles were drawn from both world literature and as well as items in the San Jose Public Library collection. Orchard Walk also includes a "welcome mat"  in the main entrance to the Library; it contains whimsical images of two people, male and female, tending a garden and framed in the words "Cultivate Your Mind in the Orchard of Knowledge." The Orchard Walk's adjacency to the Bibliotree creates a fanciful relationship between the two works; it is as if the insets are "leaves" of the tree that have fallen onto the walkway.

Through the elements of this artwork Beatrice Coron connects the strong historic sentiment for the area's orchards and agricultural past with the evolving cultural diversity of the present community that comes together because of a shared interest in the Library.   

Beatrice Coron has worked extensively in the art of paper cutting. She has translated that aesthetic into the media of metal and in glass in public artworks nationally and internationally. More about the artist and her work can be found at www.beatricecoron.com

The Santa Teresa Branch Library Grand Opening is Saturday, February 6, 2010. The ceremonial public program starts at 11:00 AM following which Beatrice Coron will be present to discuss her artwork.

The Santa Teresa Branch Library is located at 290 International Circle, San Jose, CA 95119
  

Six of San Jose's pioneer black families are brought to life in portraits pieced together from historical facts and public records, family recollections, artifacts, old photographs and artist renderings, each telling the story of a unique community from a different perspective and providing a poignant glimpse into San Jose's past during a pivotal period in history.