“A Balanced Fulcrum” is the Carlsbad Sculpture Garden’s current exhibit by artist Tiffany Phillips and lasting until July 2015 at 2955 Elmwood St. near the Cole Library. Inspired by her husband, these works are a contrast between the defined, rigid metal pieces and the elegant beauty and soft qualities that nature has to offer.
Phillips had been educated locally and currently lives in the San Diego area.
“[Phillips] received her Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts from the University of San Diego and a degree in Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design from Cuyamaca College in San Diego,” as featured on the sign at the garden.
Phillips put her college education to work through her various pieces currently being exhibited in Carlsbad’s Sculpture Garden.
“Combining her love of the natural world and her training in horticulture and the visual arts, her work utilizes formal elements and industrial materials, along with organic shapes and references to flora and fauna of her surroundings,” as featured on the sign.
Curator of exhibitions in Carlsbad, Karen McGuire started at the gallery when it first opened in 1999. Her job is crucial to those local artists who would like their pieces to be on display and very important in bringing beauty and culture to the residents of Carlsbad.
“I wear many hats in my job,” McGuire said. “As curator of the gallery, my job has been creating a vision and mission for exhibitions at the city’s William D. Cannon Art Gallery and the Sculpture Garden. Then I do research on artists and exhibitions – exhibitions sometimes take 1-2 years to plan. To finalize what exhibitions that will be presented, I will visit artist studios, museums, galleries. Then, I will plan exhibitions for the next two years. Right now, the gallery is fully booked until the end of 2016. I also work on public art projects, the foreign film series, as well as other events and visual arts programs in the city.”
As an artist, finding a place for your work to be shared and enjoyed is a difficult task. There are various ways to get booked, specifically in the Carlsbad Sculpture Garden.
“Sometimes, I find them,” McGuire said. “Sometimes, they will send me a packet with information about their work. Sometimes they will set up an appointment for me to look at their portfolios. For the current exhibition with artist Tiffany Phillips, I saw her work in another exhibition at Quail Gardens in Encinitas and contacted her.”
Tiffany Phillip’s art can be enjoyed by anyone living in Carlsbad or just passing through. The exhibit is open to the public Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is free.
“I went to the Sculpture Garden in early February to see the art by Tiffany Phillips and I loved it,” junior Kelsey Adams said. “The sculptures are so beautiful, interesting and complex. I am really happy that it is being shown until July because I want to bring my family and friends to see it too.”
