Art installation complete at Alga Norte Community Park

When Paul Hobson was hired by the City of Carlsbad to create the public artworks for Alga Norte Community Park, he leaned on his past experience as a swimming instructor for inspiration. 

One of Hobson’s artworks consists of sculptures of swimmers and divers at the aquatic center’s entryway, and the other uses glass mosaic tiles to simulate 70 unique pool and beach towels spread around the pool area.

The city will hold a community grand opening celebration for Alga Norte Community Park Saturday, Jan. 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To learn more about the park, click here.

When the city selected Hobson as the artist for its newest park, he recalled his days as a YWCA swimming instructor in the 1970s and the manual he was given as part of his training. Hobson no longer had the manual but he located a copy in a university library and duplicated some pages.

“The instructor manual had illustrations that were stop action — where your arms and legs should be in a swim stroke or dive,” Hobson said. “I just drew on those illustrations for this installation.”

Each stop-action image is composed of copper, brass and aluminum and is mounted on a stainless steel panel. There are nine panels, each of which holds three stop-action images of different swim strokes — the crawl, butterfly and backstroke — or dives — the inward pike, the reverse dive and the forward dive with half twist.  The new park’s aquatic center features two 1-meter diving boards and two 3-meter boards.

The sculptures grace the entryway to Alga Norte Community Park’s aquatic center and will greet swimmers as they arrive.

“I looked for ways to convey this theme and the entryway idea came through,” the artist said.

Hobson’s other art installation consists of 70 simulated pool and beach towels that are composed multicolored mosaic glass tiles inlaid on seat walls and benches in the warm water spa and slash pad. Fifty-eight of the inlaid-tile towels measure 2 feet by 1 foot, and 12 measure 6 feet by 3 feet and cover benches.

“They seemed like a good way to add color and interest to the benches and seat walls in and around the spa and children’s play area,” Hobson said. “The ubiquitous and colorful pool towel is an appropriate vehicle to accomplish this goal.”

Hobson was assisted by fabricator Mark Yturralde and a team of park workers in installing the sculpture panels.

City of Carlsbad Cultural Arts Manager Vincent Kitch said Hobson’s swimmers, divers and mosaic glass towels are the latest addition to the city’s public art holdings.

“We are thrilled to add this selection of artworks to our public art collection,” Kitch said. “Hobson’s vibrant mosaic inlaid benches, along with his metal swim and dive panels really complement this state of the art park.”

The City of Carlsbad’s Art in Public Places program, which began in 1985, is designed to expand residents’ appreciation of art, reflect the city’s aspiration to improve the quality of life, and enhance and identify Carlsbad as a unique community. The program, which is administered by the city’s Cultural Arts Office, involves the public during the selection process. To learn more about the city’s Art in Public Places program, click here.

When completed Alga Norte Community Park will cover 32 acres on the northwest corner of Poinsettia Lane and Alicante Road. The park will include:

• An aquatic center with a 56-meter competition pool, a 25-yard 12-lane instructional pool and a warm water spa for adults
• A splash pad for children
• An off-leash dog park with areas for large and small dogs and a dog training area
• A lighted skate park for beginner and experienced skateboarders
• A playground with shade structures over the play equipment
• One lighted full basketball court and one half basketball court
• Three lighted multi-purpose ball fields with a snack bar
• Shaded picnic areas with barbeques.