Janet Sanders and Saaba Buddenhagen | 2000

Intersection of Salisbury St. and Blair Ave., adjacent to Fire Engine House No. 8
Ceramic tile mosaic
9′ w. x 5′ 6″ d.

The Magic Carpet Mosaic was conceived to pay tribute to the children of Hyde Park, to encourage interconnectedness among St. Louis neighborhoods, and to celebrate the collective histories of all Hyde Park residents.  The piece was mostly made by the hands of Hyde Park children and stands as a testimony to their vitality, commitment, vision, and potential.

Sanders and Buddenhagen acted as facilitators and teachers for this community project.  The majority of the design and fabrication was completed through community collaboration, with local children being the primary participants.  The project provided snacks and structured supervision for unaccompanied children, as well as opportunities to discuss difficult social, racial, and representational issues in a community dealing with overwhelming need.  The names of the project participants are engraved in tiles that border the mosaic.

The Magic Carpet Mosaic also functions as a memorial to six children who died in a house fire in March, 1999; Darrell Howell, Jr., Forice Nowden, Amber Polk, Bryana Sandford, Danielle Williams, and Jason Wordlaw.  The site was chosen due to its proximity to the fire (which occurred diagonally across the intersection) and Engine House Eight.

Commissioned by Arts in Transit.