Contact: Patti Klein Lerner,
(818) 677-2130

Ventura Harbor Happening:
CSUN Brings Seashells to the Sea Shore

"CSUN Brings Seashells to the Sea Shore," will be installed on a building at 1567 Spinnaker Dr., and celebrated with an "Art Happening" party at 3 p.m. Saturday.

The 25 students in Michel Petersen's beginning ceramics class at CSUN fashioned the 340 tiles that will comprise the 19-foot by five-foot turquoise and yellow mural from two tons of raw clay during the spring 2000 semester.

"We're very happy and we're very proud of our work," said Petersen, a teaching associate and graduate student at CSUN who also serves as artist in residence at Ventura Harbor Village. "This was a unique opportunity for beginning art students to do public art during their first semester. They're ecstatic."

Molds of shells and sea life, including crabs, seahorses, and starfish were pressed into the wet clay. The tiles were then glazed and kiln-fired. Petersen and the students will be present Saturday, cementing the tiles to the wall of the building, Petersen said.

The project, which cost an estimated $3,000, was funded by CSUN's Art Department and the Ventura Port District, said Petersen, who herself has 20 pieces of sculptured marine tile art throughout the 33-acre shopping and entertainment center.

Ventura Harbor Village is just off the Ventura (101) Freeway, one hour north of Los Angeles. For more information, contact Petersen at (805) 655-5144 or CSUN's Art Department at (818) 677-2242.