Aztec Gates

Ernesto Galarza Elementary School
San Jose, CA

• Bill Gould & Glen Rogers
• Completed in 2002
• Fabrication & Installation by Lizard Skin Studios

The two gates that cover the Teacher’s entrance, which was needed to secure a private entrance, combine beauty and interest with functionality. The image of the Aztec Calendar was chosen based on the school’s namesake, Ernesto Galarza. The design, “Cycles of Time” is a circular design that used decorative elements from this famous Mexican artifact. Students re-created glyphs of the twenty-day signs of the 260-day calendar with images of a rabbit, monkey, jaguar, dog, deer, lizard, etc. Their black and white line drawings were translated into cut metal via the water-jet process.