EJA Sculpture/Educational Garden
Donation protected
The Beginning
My name is Dawn Mueller and I am an art educator for the Coxsackie-Athens Central School District, teaching K-4 Art. Two years ago I was able to secure funding for a sculpture garden for Edward J. Arthur Elementary in Athens, NY. The grant was a project support grant through the decentralized fund of N.Y.S Council for the Arts. This grant was administered through Green County Council for the Arts and was made possible through the grant writing guidance of Karen Boeri at the Athens Cultural Center. The main goal of the grant was to create an outdoor sculpture garden for the school. The initial funding would help build the garden structure and allow money for the first years sculpture.
My Vision
The EJA Sculpture Garden was an idea that came to me after going on a field trip with my fourth grade students to the Omi Sculpture Park in Ghent, NY. As I watched my students interacting with the sculptures and each other I wanted a way to capture that interest and curiosity. For months as the thoughts of this trip stewed in my mind and percolated into busily drawn sketches and increasing day dreams of how to move forward, I started to share these ideas with my family, friends and peers. Once I started sharing the idea, I couldn't stop. I envisioned a sculpture garden that would lend beauty to the school, promote stewardship for the land, and provide substance to expand my art curriculum. I dreamed of creating a garden that would bring my classroom curriculum out doors. I imagined students drawing flowers from observation, discussions of site specific art and the concept of art and nature coinciding as one. I decided that every year I would spend a month with my fourth grade students creating an out door sculpture that would be added year after year as part of each classes legacy. And the more I thought of all the possibilities that a sculpture garden could bring, I realized I not only wanted to plant a garden, but I wanted to plant seeds of imagination, creativity.
Why a Sculpture Garden?
I guess the answer to me is why not a sculpture garden? For thousands of years, sculptures have filled a huge need and role in various cultures. Many of the earliest civilizations created sculptures to provide magical healing powers for it's people to help or "cure" sickness, to aid in childbirth and ensure good hunting. All the necessary ingredients for people to prosper. These sculptures were often talismans for individuals (think Woman of Willendorf) or large almost inhuman structures (think Stonehenge or Easter Island heads). As cultures evolved and societies were created, so did sculptures. Sculptures were and are still built to commemorate and celebrate people and events, to memorialize those gone or fallen, and often built to bring and unite communities and I wanted a sculpture garden to do all of those things at my school.
The First Year
The first year after receiving the grant money the physical part of the garden structure was built by myself and my husband, Peter Forsythe. Huge Locust beams were erected for all of the fencing. The garden is about 20' x 40' and about five feet high. It is primarily locust with cross sections of hemlock. Holes were dug by our incredible custodial team who even brought a gas run post hole digger. The garden was fenced in and was divided into 2 sections. The larger portion being the sculpture garden and the smaller portion being a vegetable garden that was gifted to the fourth grade student body at that time. The ground was prepared by removing the sod and covered with landscaping mesh. Three garden boxes were made for the vegetable garden and two door ways were built and equipped with cedar doors. Some flowers and shrubs were bought and the entrance way was covered with cedar shakes. The first year a sculpture including a clay fish from each 4th grade student was created and set into place. The sculpture was called "School of Fish".
The Second Year
More plants were planted with the help of colleagues and the EJA PTO. Several of my colleagues helped me dig up flowers from a garden being removed at the Coxsackie Athens main campus. A special master gardener, friend and parent Leslie Reed helped with plantings,mulching and weeding and helped Mrs. Pacuk set up the vegetable garden. Through her help and guidance students created garden journals and learned about the book binding preparation and process. She also helped Mrs. Pacuk and I start our very own plant sale. Through this sale Mrs. Pacuk was able to buy supplies for her classroom garden and I had money to create the second sculpture. A large Mason Bee House to help with pollination. The house was built using reclaimed barn boards, bricks, bamboo, twigs, pine cones and cording.
This Year-Year Three
Over the past few years the garden has evolved and some issues have emerged. For one, the drainage is poor and the garden is emerged in water for most of May and June due to the clay at this site and poor drainage. Over the past few years our springs have seen increased amounts of rain and frequency. Where the flower beds are, dirt and mulch were brought in and flowers planted have thrived, but more dirt and mulch is needed. The center part of the garden is so wet that the landscaping mesh does not stay in the ground and is easily ripped up, no matter the types of reinforcement. We are in need of more established plants and shrubs to help absorb some of the water. We are really in need of a gate that can close and lock when school is out. A permanent walk way that can be accessible by anyone regardless of physical capabilities. A permanent sign for the garden and last but not least, two custom built benches for students and visitors to use. I would like to address all of these issues and make the garden easier to navigate, more inviting and more functional. I have spoken to my students and we have discussed creating a snake inspired walkway using cement and river stone to create the image and patterning of a native garden snake for this year's sculpture. With this go fund me campaign I believe we can make this years sculpture pathway a reality while addressing all of these other issues and needs.
What Your Donations Will Do
Address Drainage
Create a handicap accessible walkway "Our Sculpture"
Gates
Two Custom Benches
Dirt and Mulching
More mature plantings/shrubs
Build a Sign for the Garden and Donors Names
Tee Shirt
Encourage Art, Community and Stewardship for the land
Types of Donations-
The Sapling- any donation under $30 -includes name on sign
The Willow- any donation over $50-includes name on sign and card with this years sculpture
The Mighty Oak-$100 donation- includes name on sign, card and tee shirt
My name is Dawn Mueller and I am an art educator for the Coxsackie-Athens Central School District, teaching K-4 Art. Two years ago I was able to secure funding for a sculpture garden for Edward J. Arthur Elementary in Athens, NY. The grant was a project support grant through the decentralized fund of N.Y.S Council for the Arts. This grant was administered through Green County Council for the Arts and was made possible through the grant writing guidance of Karen Boeri at the Athens Cultural Center. The main goal of the grant was to create an outdoor sculpture garden for the school. The initial funding would help build the garden structure and allow money for the first years sculpture.
My Vision
The EJA Sculpture Garden was an idea that came to me after going on a field trip with my fourth grade students to the Omi Sculpture Park in Ghent, NY. As I watched my students interacting with the sculptures and each other I wanted a way to capture that interest and curiosity. For months as the thoughts of this trip stewed in my mind and percolated into busily drawn sketches and increasing day dreams of how to move forward, I started to share these ideas with my family, friends and peers. Once I started sharing the idea, I couldn't stop. I envisioned a sculpture garden that would lend beauty to the school, promote stewardship for the land, and provide substance to expand my art curriculum. I dreamed of creating a garden that would bring my classroom curriculum out doors. I imagined students drawing flowers from observation, discussions of site specific art and the concept of art and nature coinciding as one. I decided that every year I would spend a month with my fourth grade students creating an out door sculpture that would be added year after year as part of each classes legacy. And the more I thought of all the possibilities that a sculpture garden could bring, I realized I not only wanted to plant a garden, but I wanted to plant seeds of imagination, creativity.
Why a Sculpture Garden?
I guess the answer to me is why not a sculpture garden? For thousands of years, sculptures have filled a huge need and role in various cultures. Many of the earliest civilizations created sculptures to provide magical healing powers for it's people to help or "cure" sickness, to aid in childbirth and ensure good hunting. All the necessary ingredients for people to prosper. These sculptures were often talismans for individuals (think Woman of Willendorf) or large almost inhuman structures (think Stonehenge or Easter Island heads). As cultures evolved and societies were created, so did sculptures. Sculptures were and are still built to commemorate and celebrate people and events, to memorialize those gone or fallen, and often built to bring and unite communities and I wanted a sculpture garden to do all of those things at my school.
The First Year
The first year after receiving the grant money the physical part of the garden structure was built by myself and my husband, Peter Forsythe. Huge Locust beams were erected for all of the fencing. The garden is about 20' x 40' and about five feet high. It is primarily locust with cross sections of hemlock. Holes were dug by our incredible custodial team who even brought a gas run post hole digger. The garden was fenced in and was divided into 2 sections. The larger portion being the sculpture garden and the smaller portion being a vegetable garden that was gifted to the fourth grade student body at that time. The ground was prepared by removing the sod and covered with landscaping mesh. Three garden boxes were made for the vegetable garden and two door ways were built and equipped with cedar doors. Some flowers and shrubs were bought and the entrance way was covered with cedar shakes. The first year a sculpture including a clay fish from each 4th grade student was created and set into place. The sculpture was called "School of Fish".
The Second Year
More plants were planted with the help of colleagues and the EJA PTO. Several of my colleagues helped me dig up flowers from a garden being removed at the Coxsackie Athens main campus. A special master gardener, friend and parent Leslie Reed helped with plantings,mulching and weeding and helped Mrs. Pacuk set up the vegetable garden. Through her help and guidance students created garden journals and learned about the book binding preparation and process. She also helped Mrs. Pacuk and I start our very own plant sale. Through this sale Mrs. Pacuk was able to buy supplies for her classroom garden and I had money to create the second sculpture. A large Mason Bee House to help with pollination. The house was built using reclaimed barn boards, bricks, bamboo, twigs, pine cones and cording.
This Year-Year Three
Over the past few years the garden has evolved and some issues have emerged. For one, the drainage is poor and the garden is emerged in water for most of May and June due to the clay at this site and poor drainage. Over the past few years our springs have seen increased amounts of rain and frequency. Where the flower beds are, dirt and mulch were brought in and flowers planted have thrived, but more dirt and mulch is needed. The center part of the garden is so wet that the landscaping mesh does not stay in the ground and is easily ripped up, no matter the types of reinforcement. We are in need of more established plants and shrubs to help absorb some of the water. We are really in need of a gate that can close and lock when school is out. A permanent walk way that can be accessible by anyone regardless of physical capabilities. A permanent sign for the garden and last but not least, two custom built benches for students and visitors to use. I would like to address all of these issues and make the garden easier to navigate, more inviting and more functional. I have spoken to my students and we have discussed creating a snake inspired walkway using cement and river stone to create the image and patterning of a native garden snake for this year's sculpture. With this go fund me campaign I believe we can make this years sculpture pathway a reality while addressing all of these other issues and needs.
What Your Donations Will Do
Address Drainage
Create a handicap accessible walkway "Our Sculpture"
Gates
Two Custom Benches
Dirt and Mulching
More mature plantings/shrubs
Build a Sign for the Garden and Donors Names
Tee Shirt
Encourage Art, Community and Stewardship for the land
Types of Donations-
The Sapling- any donation under $30 -includes name on sign
The Willow- any donation over $50-includes name on sign and card with this years sculpture
The Mighty Oak-$100 donation- includes name on sign, card and tee shirt
Organizer
Dawn Mueller
Organizer
Athens, NY