Description:  History of Carley’s Magical Gardens

In the late 1990’s, it started with the final selected artists and design team collaborating with Children’s Hospital architect, Tony Figueras, alongside Liz and Michael Copley, the parents of their late daughter, Carley. The first garden was built and dedicated in 1999. The main task for the overall design of the first garden was to create happy spaces in the old original Frost Street building, and for the expanding Department of Hematology/Oncology, which was in great need of color and positive healing spaces for patients and families dealing with cancer. 

The original artists were: T.J. Dixon, James Nelson, Ellen Phillips, Mary Lynn Dominguez, Alber De Matteis, and Kim Emerson. Tony, Ellen and Mary Lynn were involved only with the first gardens. Each artist presented their individual ideas for the garden’s magical interactive artworks, and a storybook was authored and illustrated by T.J. Dixon. Each work of art typically began with a watercolor conceptual design, accompanied by a 3-dimensional maquette built to scale.

In the year 2000, the design for Carley’s Magical Gardens received an honorable Orchid Award, sponsored by the esteemed San Diego Architectural Foundation.

The second phase of Carley’s Magical Gardens, dedicated in 2010, was designed for the newly constructed Acute Care Pavilion where the Department of Hematology/Oncology was to be relocated and expanded. These new art and healing garden spaces were located throughout, at the ground floor lobby, the 2nd level terrace, and a fourth-floor terrace.

A special memoriam goes to the amazing architect and human being, Tony Figueras, and also to the brilliant bronze sculptor and artist, T.J. Dixon. May their beautiful and creative spirits always live-on in the Carley’s Magical Gardens that remain.

Article:  https://healthcaredesignmagazine.com/trends/childrens-hospital-and-health-center-carleys-magical-garden-san-diego-ca/1507/

Giant Hummingbird’s Nest (1999)

Dimensions: 10’ in diameter x 4’ 6” high x 10” thick

Carley Copley, an extraordinarily spirited 3 year old patient at the original hospital building looked out the windows into the drab courtyard. But it was there where she would “squeal with delight” in finding bugs in drains, and caterpillars on plants. One day, Carley discovered a hummingbird’s nest, and from inside the hospital lobby the young patients witnessed the evolution of those tiny birds’ lives. When the young artist, Kim Emerson, learned in research about this special and beloved hummingbird’s nest, Kim knew and was determined to build a giant one! She consulted with Woody Woodburn of ProFoam in Vista, CA to teach her how and to help her carve her first large scale public art sculpture out of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, cement coating, and to be ultimately finished with ceramic tile mosaic. In addition, Kim’s other contribution to the story of Carley’s Magical Gardens involved several giant butterfly wings that she designed, and had sewn out of sail fabric by Lori Tylock. These very large butterfly sails were attached with cables to the roofs where they flew overhead offering shade and bright colors.

There were many other fabulous sculptures created by the all of the artists of this amazing team, such as; a caterpillar bench, an upside-down tortoise, rain-bird cranes, bugs in bronze, and a life-size bronze sculpture of three-year old Carley, and just to name the main artworks.

A special thanks goes to Woody Woodburn of his former business, ProFoam, that was once located in Vista, CA and where the Giant Hummingbird’s Nest was built.

Fast forward, in 2024, the original Carly’s Magical Gardens was demolished to make way for a new seven story children’s health facility to be built over the first gardens and original buildings. Most of the artists’ artworks were salvaged, and hopefully they will find new spaces for them. Unfortunately, the Giant Hummingbird’s Nest was not able to be saved. While there was some consideration about how to remove and relocate the 10’ in diameter sculpture, Rady Children’s Hospital did not find the value in doing so. She served patients, families and staff for 25 glorious years, and she will always be considered one of the most beautiful art pieces in all of the gardens.

RIP to our enchanting Giant Hummingbird’s Nest of San Diego…and as the story was written by our lovely T.J. Dixon “…I will not forget you…”

Giant Treehouse (2010)

Dimensions: 12’ in diameter x 7’ high  

In collaboration with master sculptors, T.J. Dixon and James Nelson, the solid EPS foam shape of this Giant Treehouse was hand-carved with hotwire tools and rasps, coated with green tinted cement, with some details of high-fired ceramic tile mosaic. The interactive sculpture has a space where children can climb up and into, there are little bird houses, and the outer tree trunk also functions as a Hot Wheel race track for children to play with, and that winds around and around and around!  

A special thanks goes to Woody Woodburn of his former business, ProFoam, Inc., Bob’s Crane Service, and Jesse Borjorquez for transporation.

Marisa The Magical Bird (2010)

Dimensions:  4’ 0” at highest x 20’ at longest x 12’ at widest

“Marisa, Marisa, The Magical Bird. She’ll grant all your wishes, Just leave the words” is inscribed on a small locked secret bronze trap-door. Children are encouraged to insert their written wishes on paper into the special openable locket on a necklace around Marisa’s neck. Caregivers and parents alike secretly retrieve the children’s wishes, and with the high-hopes of being able to grant them.

Marisa is a large mosaic and bronze interactive sculpture and a very special project that evokes child’s play and imagination. This significant sculpture is a magical and powerful example of how the arts can promote healing in the health care environment. It was a collaboration with Kim Emerson, T.J. Dixon and James Nelson. Marisa’s moveable head is cast in bronze, she has pony reigns, with wings and a tail that were hand-carved by the artists out of expanded EPS foam. Ultimately, the EPS foam portions were coated with cement, and embellished with colorful ceramic tile mosaics. Marisa’s ten-foot long tail of feathers also functions as a slide where children can enjoy and play.  As if almost ready to take flight, Marisa is gracefully, prominently and proudly perched on top of a large mound of soft green turf, placed at the center of the garden, where she watches and is cherished by all! 

A special thanks goes to the following: Woody Woodburn of his former business, ProFoam, Inc., Bob’s Crane Service, and Jesse Borjorquez for transporation.

River of Life (2010)

Dimensions & some details: 500 square feet of varying widths and lengths. The mosaics set into the recessed areas of the interior terrazzo floor, and the exterior cement pavement.

The River of Life floor mosaic was planned early in the design process of the newly constructed Acute Care Pavilion. The success of most public art projects often depends on how early the artist’s vision can be applied to the architect’s conceptual design, and this is a great example of that collaboration. The chosen theme of ocean is visually present in other decorative elements located throughout all four floors of the health Acute Care Pavilion. The large floor mosaic, lush in color with sea-life, waves, and underwater scenery, begins in the main lobby at the ripple textured plaster wall, it dances across the main lobby area, making its way to the window appearing as though it flows under and through, outside past a boat, under a bridge, and into the garden. Visible through the windows, from inside and the upper levels above, the River of Life floor mosaic continues to flow into a large spiral where two bronze “turtles taking tea by the tidelands”.