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PRESS RELEASE:
The Library invites family groups to visit the West (Diamond Street) side of Library Park, near the Moreton Bay Fig “Library Tree”, on the evening of Thursday, October 29 starting at 6:00 p.m. to view the first lighting of the Ray Bradbury fused glass windows designed by local artist Tim Carey and created at The Judson Studios’ South Pasadena location. The windows will be mounted in the Ray Bradbury Conference Room and illuminated from the inside, adding a beautiful new public artwork to the South Pasadena scene.
Due to the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health guidelines the Library may not host an event or gathering. We ask anyone who visits the windows to wear a mask, stay with their family group, and maintain 6 feet of distance from others who are not in their family group. There will be a visual scavenger hunt for kids to find things depicted in the windows, and artist Tim Carey will be on-site from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
The idea for an art installation at the Library inspired by Ray Bradbury was Tim Carey’s, and he first started working with former Library Director Steve Fjeldsted to develop it in 2018. Carey got the idea from spending time in the park around the big Moreton Bay Fig tree with his family and realized how perfect the location would be for glass art. The project was approved in June 2019 by the City’s newly formed Public Art Commission, and funding came from private donors and designations from discretionary funds by Mayor Pro Tem Diana Mahmud and Council Member Dr. Richard Schneider.
The three panels that make up the work of fused glass tell a narrative story of Bradbury’s life and work. Fused glass is a relatively new technology that allows glass of different styles and colors to be melted together in a kiln to form a single image. Carey explains that “glass is the ultimate painting medium for installations both inside and out. Because of its ability to transmit and reflect light and transparency, a glass piece is always alive. It is changing with the daylight and engages the environment…glass can be brought to life at night to invite people to a space.” The location of the Ray Bradbury Windows on the West side of Library Park, near the Moreton Bay Fig “Library Tree” will capture the attention of passersby at night when the windows are lit from within.
Tim Carey studied drawing at painting at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, and spent the first five years of his career as a figurative oil painter and muralist. He then began a 14 year career at The Judson Studios, a 123 year old world-renowned glass art studio, based in the Gravanza section of Highland park (Los Angeles). In 2016 The Judson Studios opened its Fused and Kiln Formed Glass studio in South Pasadena, where the Ray Bradbury windows were crafted by Carey. At The Judson Studios, Carey was a painter, designer, and finally creative director. In 2018 Carey left Judson to establish his own full service glass fusing studio firm in South Pasadena (Tim Carey Studio: https://timcarey.com/).
Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) was a prolific and beloved author of novels, essays, plays and poems and a mentor to young writers and creators. He was a life-long user of libraries as well as an outspoken and articulate public library advocate. Bradbury lived in Southern California for more than 75 years and in his later years many of his plays were performed at South Pasadena’s own Fremont Center Theatre. Given Bradbury’s significant contributions to public libraries and the South Pasadena community, in 2013 the South Pasadena Public Library’s Conference Room was renamed the “Ray Bradbury Conference Room”. In 2016 Bradbury was inducted into the California Library Hall of Fame.
The South Pasadena Public Library building is currently closed to the public for the health and safety of our community. Library Takeout, a no-contact check-out/pick-up service is now available Monday through Thursday, 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information visit www.southpasadenaca.gov/librarytakeout.
