The 55th Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Public Garden will take place at the UMass Club of Boston, 1 Beacon Street, 32nd Floor, at 6 pm. Please plan to arrive at 5:45 pm. Join the Friends as we celebrate our members, welcome incoming President Liza Meyer, and honor the 2025 Parks Champion, Beatrice Nessen. Reception to follow. Friends of the Public Garden is thrilled to present Beatrice Nessen with this year’s Parks Champion Award. Since 1970, Beatrice has devoted great amounts of her time to helping the Friends navigate issues related to advocacy, parks care, programming, public safety, and finance. The impact of her volunteerism in our three parks and the City is immeasurable. Please join us at the Annual Meeting as we honor her tireless commitment to the Common, Garden, and Mall. Register at https://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/events/annual-meeting/
The Friends of the Public Garden’s major fundraising event, The Green & White, will take place this spring on Friday, April 11 at 6 pm at The Newbury Boston. Co-chairs are Gloria Coleman, Kenda Coleman, Don and Victoria Sullivan, and Jack Yeaton. Sponsorships and single tickets are now available. The Green & White brings together neighbors and friends to support the Boston Common, the Public Garden, and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. This event is the single largest source of funding for the Friends’ annual parks care budget. Your support of the Green & White allows us to invest more than $2.6 million annually in the care of these iconic public parks in the heart of downtown Boston. For details, and to reserve, visit https://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/events/green-white/
Leslie Singleton Adam, Chair of the Board of The Friends of the Public Garden, is pleased to introduce Gene Bolinger as Interim President.
“Gene’s long-standing connection with our organization and his profound understanding of our mission and values will ensure the continuity of our efforts to enhance our community’s greenspaces into the new year. We are fortunate to have Gene’s decades of experience enhancing Boston’s open spaces, which will welcome an inspiring new chapter for the Friends.
The staff’s dedication and professionalism have allowed for an incredibly smooth leadership transition over a busy holiday season, demonstrating the stability and strength of our organization. Gene’s background in open space and landscapes, coupled with 38 years of working and advocating for improvements to Boston’s park system make him a valuable addition to our team.
Gene was appointed to the Boston Parks Commission in 2023 and has served as a volunteer on the Friends Common Committee and Council, becoming Council Co-chair this year. As Vice President and head of the landscape architecture practice of Weston & Sampson for decades, he participated in completing the recent Master Plan for Boston Common. Gene enjoys exploring our downtown parks through the lens of a park user, identifying ways to better the park experience.
Gene will work alongside Liz Vizza as she prepares to part with the organization on December 31, 2024. We are immensely grateful to Liz for her unwavering dedication, inspiring leadership, and countless contributions to the Friends over the last 15 years. Liz, your impact on our organization will be felt for years to come.
Please join me in welcoming our newest Friend, Gene. We are excited to harness his expertise and look towards the future as he supports us during this transition and sets the Friends up for success in our next chapter, which will begin with the appointment of a new President in the first quarter of the new year.”
The Young Friends of the Public Garden welcome all to attend the sixth annual Winter Party at 8 Park Street, overlooking the lights on Boston Common. Prepare to shine in your chicest and most dazzling attire as we support the downtown parks in style. The party takes place December 6 from 6:30 – 8 pm.
Tickets include two (2) complimentary drink tickets, light hors d’oeuvre, and access to a dazzling array of raffle and auction prizes. Your tickets await you now! Remember, sneakers, jeans, or athletic attire are not permitted at the venue.
The Henry Lee Fund for Boston Parks aims to enhance public greenspaces throughout Boston by providing grants to support the care of trees and turf, sculpture maintenance, and special projects in neighborhood parks where the needs are clear, but the resources are limited. Friends President Emeritus Henry Lee demonstrated a lifelong commitment to public greenspace and historic preservation throughout Boston. Best known as one of the founders of Friends of the Public Garden and its leader for 41 years, Henry was an ardent champion of our entire urban park system. A staunch advocate for the restoration of sculpture throughout the city, he also helped to revive the city’s Art Commission in the 1980s.
In recognition of his commitment to all our city’s parks, and in celebration of his 99th birthday, Friends of the Public Garden established The Henry Lee Fund for Boston Parks. This new fund embodies Henry’s commitment to equity in the quality of our public greenspaces. Grants will be supported by an endowment created by the Friends of the Public Garden, established with a $250,000 commitment from our Board. Administered by the Friends, grant decisions will be made by a committee that includes FOPG staff and board, representatives of the Boston Parks & Recreation Department, community volunteers, and the Friends’ arboriculture and sculpture consultants. Learn more, donate, or apply at https://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/leefund/ Awardees will be notified January 12, 2025. For 2024, the Friends of the Public Garden will distribute nearly $40,000 with a grant maximum of $5,000.
Join The Friends of the Public Garden at The Founders Monument on Boston Common on September 25, 6 pm – 8 pm – for the opening of Revealing a Deeper History, an engaging public art intervention. This free event will feature collaborative storytelling, movement, and film, revealing marginalized voices and hidden histories. There will be a special presentation that includes remarks from FOPG President Liz Vizza, and film producer and storyteller Shanda Foster, a choreographed translation of the deeper story of the Founders Monument by educator, dancer, and choreographer Jenny Oliver, and a talkback session where the audience will have a chance to engage with the artists. Register today, and please indicate on your registration if you require accessible seating. https://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/founders-register/
Join Friends of the Public Garden and partner Boston Parks & Recreation Department for the ultimate outdoor post-conference party at Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common. From 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 17, celebrate in your parks with lawn games, frozen delights, mocktails, a live DJ, great company, and so much more… The event is free and open to the public. It’s a fantastic opportunity to unwind, socialize, and meet new friends. Perhaps there will be cornhole.
The Friends of the Public Garden invite you to join them on September 17 to celebrate the Child Fountain Restoration Project, at the Arlington Street Gate to the Public Garden. Remarks begin at 11:30 am. The Child Fountain Restoration Project – and the accompanying landscape enhancements at the Arlington Street entrance – will ensure that the Public Garden is more accessible and welcoming to visitors. The leveled plaza and shallower basin around each fountain bring visitors closer to these works of art. A redesign of the granite surrounds enhances the fountains’ presence in the park while additional benches invite the public to sit and enjoy the space. New lighting has been added to highlight the sculptures and to add to the safety of the Garden.
The Friends of the Public Garden welcomes all to its classic summer bash on July 11 at 90FS, One Federal Street. Tickets $100 may be purchased at https://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/events/ This event always sells out, so act now. Your ticket purchase helps support the care of the three parks. Dress code is seersucker and floral chic!
Your favorite Friends of the Public Garden summer soiree returns on Thursday, July 11 with a fresh new venue and view! The Summer Party invites all to join in the celebration as we raise critical funds for the downtown parks. 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at 9OFS, One Federal Street, Boston. Tickets on sale at https://friendsofthepublicgarden.org/events/summer-party/
