The SCVTV production team won a Silver award at the 44th Annual Telly Awards for their documentary “Finding Art: ‘Circle Song’ Community Tile Wall.” The documentary follows artist Katy Krantz’s process of designing a ceramic tile wall mural for the new Canyon Country Community Center. The project included socially distanced community engagement programs where hikers were given blocks of clay to press into natural textures, which were used in the mural’s design. The documentary was produced by Antonio Curiel, Jessica Boyer, and Susan Shapiro and was filmed by a team of six. The team is proud to share the story and grateful for all who participated.
The SCVTV production team is thrilled to announce that their latest project, “Finding Art: ‘Circle Song’ Community Tile Wall,” has been awarded a Silver at the 44th Annual Telly Awards. The piece, which can be viewed here, documents the process of artist Katy Krantz as she designs a ceramic tile mural for the new Canyon Country Community Center.
The art piece, titled “Circle Song,” was inspired by the local natural landscape and the history of quilting. Krantz’s work ethic and connection with ceramics is highlighted throughout the documentary, which was produced by Antonio Curiel, Jessica Boyer, and Susan Shapiro, and filmed by Curiel, Boyer, Shapiro, Patricia Silva, Elizabeth Medina, and Clara Ribot.
“It was a real pleasure following Katy and her fantastic crew during the whole process. She had this cool idea of handing out blocks of clay for hikers to imprint leaves, flowers, and anything they could find on the hike,” said Curiel, the lead producer of the project. “After watching her collect clay, glaze the tiles, rearrange them in her studio, sticking them on the wall under the sun, it’s no surprise the City chose her for this project. The City is lucky to have this piece and I am fortunate that our amazing team was able to document Katy’s journey. I hope people will enjoy this tile wall for many years to come – thank you, Katy.”
Community engagement was a key component of the project, with socially distanced programs taking place at Central Park, Elsmere Canyon trailhead, Towsley Canyon, and Discovery Park. Hikers were given blocks of wet clay to press into natural textures encountered on their self-guided hike, with the clay impressions being used within the tile mural’s design. A second community engagement program included an online tile-making workshop in partnership with the Education Department of the Fernandeño Tataviam of Mission Indians.
“Our team passionately worked on this piece for months, meticulously documenting the process of the artist and her team from the initial community outreach through the reception,” said Jessica Boyer, Executive Director of SCVTV. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to share this story and for all the individuals and groups who participated. I’m immensely proud of all who contributed to the wall and this Finding Art segment.”
The majority of the filming for this project took place in 2021, with post-production and editing completed in-house by the SCVTV team. The Telly Awards, founded in 1979, honor excellence in video and television across all screens. This year’s competition received over 12,000 entries from all 50 states and five continents.
“Finding Art: ‘Circle Song’ Community Tile Wall” is a testament to the power of community engagement and the transformative nature of art. Congratulations to the SCVTV team and Katy Krantz on their well-deserved recognition.
