Mineral Park Mine, Kingman, AZ

This mosaic represents both the beauty and the blight of mining. The Mineral Park Mine, 15 miles northwest of Kingman, AZ, was first mined by hand for turquoise by Native Americans centuries before Europeans came to the area. It is one of the three prehistoric mining localities in the state of Arizona. Turquoise is typically found in arid regions, often with copper deposits in volcanic rocks. The Duval Corporation first brought large scale open-pit copper mining to the district in 1963. While the mine, through multiple owners, has generated revenue and jobs for the state, the mining operation itself leaves a scarred landscape. The design represents the industrial aspects in contrast to the natural products of the mine, moving from below the earth to the surface.
MATERIALS
• Reclaimed and re-purposed copper findings and bling (earrings, watches, chains, etc.)
• Beads and millefiori
• Authenticated Kingman turquoise (cut, tumbled, and polished by the artist)
• Colored thin-set on Wedi-board substrate in aluminum frame

Frame painted light copper.