Encinitas to unveil new public art on March 3

The City of Encinitas will host a community unveiling of a new work of public art, titled, “Moonlight Beach Tribute Bench,” on March 3 at 10 a.m. at the Moonlight Beach Marine Safety Center, located at 400 B. Street, Encinitas, CA 92024. Encinitas Deputy Mayor Joe Mosca will make welcoming remarks. The public is invited to attend.

The “Moonlight Beach Tribute Bench” is a gift to the City of Encinitas by Peter and Sandy Mossy and their family in tribute to their son, John Peyton Mossy, who died in 2011. John was a Junior Lifeguard with the Marine Safety Division of the City of Encinitas. The bench is located on the sand, directly in front of the Marine Safety Center for enjoyment by the public and Marine Safety Division staff. It was designed by Stephen Dalton Architects, the firm which designed all three buildings at Moonlight State Beach. It is similar in design to a serpentine concrete bench adjacent to the concession building. The surface of the bench was designed by artist Betsy K. Schultz, and includes ceramics, shells, sea glass, stones, and sandblasted text, “Leave Footprints of Love and Kindness.”

Schultz is known for her murals and mosaics, which are largely inspired by nature, and by the history of the communities where they are installed. Working with hand-sculpted tiles and found objects, she includes poems, historic information, and captions pressed into clay with antique letterpress letters or silk-screened onto tiles as glazes. Layering words, imagery, and texture, she creates art installations that are meant to be touched and experienced by the people who live with them.

For more information, please contact Arts Program Administrator Jim Gilliam at (760) 633-2746, or jgilliam@encinitasca.gov.

— Submitted news release