A Day in the Sun, Amy Ellingson

About this Art Collection

Terminal 1, Recomposure Area, Upper Level (post-security)

Materials: Smalti glass mosaic 

These six vibrant mosaic columns celebrate the beauty of San Diego’s coastal environment. Composed of nearly one million hand-set glass tiles, the columns shimmer with patterns inspired by the stunning transition from sunrise to sunset along the Pacific shoreline. The colorful glass extends into the terrazzo floor, evoking the sparkling reflection of sunlight on wet sand. 

Artist Amy Ellingson, known for her exploration of contemporary digital experiences and abstraction, uses these columns to bridge the digital and physical worlds. Her abstract designs incorporate ‘codes’—computer-based patterns translated into the ancient craft of mosaic, each composition meticulously laid by hand, one tile at a time. In this way, the artwork speaks to our present moment — one shaped by history as well as technology. 

Amy Ellingson: 

Amy Ellingson is an artist interested in contemporary digital experience and modalities of abstraction. Her work is held in many corporate and public collections and has been exhibited widely in the United States and in Tokyo, Japan. Ellingson is a San Francisco Bay Area native and has lived and worked in Santa Fe, New Mexico since 2018.