ESCONDIDO — One of the city’s most iconic public art spaces is celebrating its 23rd anniversary with a monthlong series of free events.
Created by internationally renowned artist Niki de Saint Phalle, “Queen Califia’s Magical Circle” is a large art installation in the Iris Sankey Arboretum at Kit Carson Park. Its whimsical mosaic sculptures draw inspiration from California’s history, mythology and the artist’s own vision.
Opened in 2003, the circle is considered Saint Phalle’s only American sculpture garden and was her last work of art before she died. She was considered one of the world’s most celebrated female sculptors.
The garden includes nine large sculptures, a circular “snake wall,” a maze entryway, integrated bench seating and native shrubs and trees planted within the interior plaza and along the outer perimeter.
At the center stands Queen Califia herself, atop a five-legged eagle. Eight large totemic structures surround her, covered in symbols and forms drawn from Native American, pre-Columbian and Mexican art, as well as the artist’s imagination.
“I’m continually inspired by Queen Califia’s Magical Circle,” said Sandra Aguilar, the city’s public art liaison. “It’s more than a space, it is a powerful reminder of what creativity can do.”
Queen Califia is a fictional queen from a 1510 Spanish romance novel, a powerful Amazon who ruled over the mythical island of California. Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés helped popularize the name “California” after suggesting the Baja California peninsula was the mythical island.
According to city documents, Saint Phalle paid homage to the state’s history by “gifting a forgotten, magical tale back to the region.”
“Surrounded by the natural landscape, this bold, colorful art piece invites imagination, creativity, and wonder. It transports you,” Aguilar said. “This celebration is a tribute to Niki de Saint Phalle’s vision and to the dedicated and passionate docents and volunteers who make it possible for the space to remain open for everyone to experience, all year long.”
To kick off the celebration, the sculpture garden will host “Fiber Expressions,” a new community art project that covers tree trunks with handmade fiber creations. The project will remain on display through Oct. 24.
On Saturday, Oct. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m., the garden will host its second “Twilight Poetry” night, a free, family-friendly event featuring spoken word and poetry readings by four published poets: Angela Narciso Torres, Nancy Lynee Woo, Tammy C. Greenwood and Darius Degher.
“Family Creativity Days” will offer activities, critters and more from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, Oct. 10, 17 and 24.
Queen Califia’s Magical Circle is regularly open to the public from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month.
