The Greenway Conservancy invites you to celebrate and support the non-profit Greenway Conservancy at Glow in the Park on June 7 from 6:30pm to 10:30pm, at the Rose Kennedy Greenway on High Street at Atlantic Avenue.
Tickets (which can be purchased online at www.rosekennedygreenway.org) are $85 and include food from our Greenway Food Trucks, drinks from Jack’s Abby and 90+ Cellars, live music from Vivian Luo and Them Apples Band, lawn games from Social Boston Sports, prizes, and MORE!
Join the Armenian Heritage Foundation on Sunday, December 16 at 4:30 pm at the Armenian Heritage Park on The Greenway for Boston’s newest holiday tradition, the Candlelit Labyrinth Walk. Meet and greet, tie a ribbon on the wishing tree, and enjoy luscious pastries and hot chocolate hosted by Jana Grill and Bakery. Free, but rsvp appreciated at hello@ArmenianHeritagePark.org.
The Board of Directors for the Esplanade Association announced the unanimous selection of Michael J. Nichols, of Boston, as the organization’s Executive Director. Nichols, an experienced public servant, attorney, and non-profit professional began work at the Esplanade Association on November 29.
Nichols joins the Esplanade Association after three years at the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, serving the last 2.5 years as Chief of Staff. At the Greenway, Nichols was responsible for the Conservancy’s community and government affairs, external communications, and advancing strategic priorities. Under his leadership, the Conservancy negotiated a landmark public-private funding agreement, opened Boston’s first fully open-air beer garden, launched the organization’s signature young professional fundraising event, significantly grew earned revenue with innovative activities, and initiated numerous partnerships with other leading Boston institutions for in-park events.
“Michael has proven strategic leadership experience in communicating the value of a public/private partnership to care for – and activate – an urban public park,” said Alexi Conine, Chair of the Esplanade Association Board. “We were impressed with his passion, broad skillset, and record of success in mission-focused government and non-profit work. We’re thrilled to have Michael join us.” Michael can be reached at mnichols@esplanadeassociation.org or at 617-227-0365 ext. 403. He looks forward to working with you, the Park’s dedicated supporters, to revitalize and enhance this signature public space.
The 2017 America in Bloom National Symposium is coming to New England for the first time this October. The Town of Holliston will host the event October 5 – 7, and attendees from out of state will lodge at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel & Conference Center.
The conference kicks off with an East Coast Garden Tour on Thursday, October 5 from 10 – 4, advance registration required. If you want to experience horticultural heritage in the Boston area at its best, this tour is for you! We’ll start by visiting one of the oldest and finest garden centers in the Boston area, Weston Nurseries. Known for offering exceptional plants and garden ideas, this nursery in Hopkinton, MA also has an amazing railroad garden. After touring the garden center we’ll enjoy lunch hosted by Peter Mezitt, fourth generation nursery owner. Then we will head to The Gardens at Elm Bank in Wellesley, MA, headquarters of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Here we will enjoy special tours of 12 display gardens, including an historic Olmsted Italianate Garden as well as the Bressingham Garden designed by English nurseryman Adrian Bloom. The last stop on the tour is to Wellesley College, rated one of the most beautiful small college campuses in the country. We will have a special tour of their botanic garden which now focuses on the fundamental role of plants in nature and culture. The cost is $50 and includes lunch. Tour is limited to 50 people so register early.
If you prefer, take a tour of the Urban Farming Institute from 1 – 4. If you believe in sourcing local, fresh food, don’t miss this tour! The Urban Farming Institute is a brand-new concept in the historically-diverse Roxbury/Dorchester/Mattapan neighborhoods of Boston. The Institute’s mission is to develop and promote urban farming as a commercial sector within the city and to create green collar jobs for residents. It is also committed to engaging its urban community in building a healthier and more locally-based food system. The Fowler-Clark-Epstein Farm, currently under reconstruction, is becoming the center for celebrating the agricultural heritage of the Boston area as well as the cultural and historic heritage of this unique community. On this tour, you will see first-hand the work the Institute is doing to enable urban farming through farm creation, farmer training, public education, and policy change, and how the Institute brings people in urban neighborhoods closer to food production. Your tour leader is Barbara Knecht, partner in “Strategies for Cities.” Barbara has brought 30 years of developing urban land for public good and a love of all things edible to her work developing urban farm sites. The cost is $35. Tour is limited to 11 people so register early.
Prior to that evening’s silent auction and cocktail reception there will be a Mayor and Elected Leaders Reception, and later, a Celebration Dinner.
The Symposium begins in earnest on Friday, with a Keynote Presentation by Ken Kruckemeyer, board member of LivableStreets Alliance and partner in “Strategies for Cities.” Ken specializes in the design of civil infrastructure focusing in pedestrian and bicycle corridors as well as roadway and bridge design. Historic preservation has become a fundamental tool for strengthening communities. When understood as a combination of physical and human attributes, it can provide a framework for communities to build on their assets and improve health, affordability, prosperity, and well-being. Historic preservation can make it possible to achieve a wide range of public goals, including small business incubation, affordable housing, sustainable development, neighborhood renewal, heritage tourism, and economic development. By examples primarily drawn from his Boston experience, Ken will address the importance of historic preservation and the role that walkable corridors play in an effective immersion in the historic character of a community.
Friday brings a host of panel presentations such as Creating a Sense of Place Downtown, and a How-To Guide to Improving Your Town Through Horticulture. Afternoon and evening tours of the Freedom Trail and the Rose Kennedy Greenway, plus Mount Auburn Cemetery, are on offer.
On Saturday the Showcase of Innovation continues, and America in Bloom President Katy Moss Warner will take a brief look at collective successes in her morning Keynote Speech. A lunch and Holliston Walking Tour round out the afternoon, and that evening, the America in Bloom Awards Banquet will take place.
Full registration is $345, and by registering online at http://www.americainbloom.org/Symposium/Registration.aspx before September 8 you will receive a discount. You may also call 614-453-0744, or email aib@AmericainBloom.org.
Landscapes and recreational facilities are the green space that provide ecosystem services and aesthetics that enhance our quality of life in urban settings. With the growing variability of weather, maintaining these landscapes relies on well-designed irrigation systems to conserve water and the energy to deliver it.
Join The Ecological Landscape Alliance on Tuesday, July 11 at 10 am for a tour to two urban sites in downtown Boston that demonstrate a variety of irrigation types and practices to help save water.
First stop on the tour is the Rose Kennedy Greenway, to learn about the Conservancy’s approach to sustainable and frugal water management practices. The Conservancy takes advantage of Boston’s natural rainfall and supplements it with automated irrigation as needed. Appropriate irrigation system elements in conjunction with weather and plant monitoring inform the Conservancy adjustments to irrigation run times and frequency. The irrigation controllers have rain sensors which stop scheduled irrigation after a preset amount of rainfall has occurred. The Conservancy also employs hand watering for containers and newly planted materials. To further reduce the Greenway’s water consumption, the Conservancy regularly conducts audits of the irrigation system functionality and water usage to allow for quick detection and repair of leaks and malfunctions.
The second stop on the tour is the Seaport District parks, to explore ways to irrigate urban street scapes and small pocket parks. Brian Vinchesi will be discussing the sustainability features of drip irrigation and tree irrigation for a diverse group of landscapes. He will also explain irrigation infrastructure, the smart controllers necessary to manage the system.
The tour will review the irrigation technologies, design, and operational strategies being used to help save water while managing healthy landscapes. Brian will also explain how older systems might be improved to be more sustainable.
Brian Vinchesi, who holds a degree in agricultural (irrigation) engineering, is President of Irrigation Consulting, a national irrigation design and consulting firm. Irrigation Consulting performs irrigation consulting services throughout the United States and overseas. Vinchesi has 34 years of irrigation design experience in the turf, landscape and golf sectors. He is responsible for field evaluation, construction administration and project management. He is a past president of the Irrigation Association and the American Society of Irrigation Consultants. He serves on many Irrigation Association committees including being chair or the Smart Water Applications Technology initiative as well as the IA Standards and Codes Committee. He is a LEED-AP, the 2015 Irrigation Association Industry Achievement Award Winner and the 2009 EPA WaterSense Irrigation Partner of the Year.
$23 for ELA members, $33 for nonmembers. Register and see more at: http://www.ecolandscaping.org/event/eco-tour-irrigation-tools-techniques-greenway-seaport-parks/#sthash.Z1AWE4QF.dpuf
You’ll won’t believe your eyes as The Rose Kennedy Greenway’s new public art installations challenge your perspective. Following Spaces Of Hope, our fifth Greenway Wall mural in our Dewey Square Park, they are excited to announce two new public art installations soon-to-be installed as part of the 2017 theme: Playful Perspectives! Mark Reigelman’s The Meeting House, a scaled-down version of the Pembroke Friends Meetinghouse, will be located between Pearl and Oliver Streets. Meredith James’s Far From This Setting In Which We Now Find Ourselves will be in the North End parks. For a comprehensive article, see Jeremy Fox’s April 29 Boston Globe piece at www.bostonglobe.com.
Join The Massachusetts Horticultural Society on Thursday, May 25 at 10 am for a 1.5 mile walk through the Rose Kennedy Greenway led by Jesse Brackenbury, Executive Director of the Greenway. Jesse will discuss many of the Greenway’s features, including its horticulture, history (such as Mass Hort’s involvement), programs, public art, and more. Pre-registration required. Mass Hort Members: $15; General Admission: $22. Sign up at www.masshort.org.
The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy presents Glow in the Park on Friday, June 9 from 6:30 – 10:30. $75 early bird ticket price, $95 in advance, and $125 at the door. All proceeds support the Conservancy. The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy raises 60% of The Greenway’s budget from private sources and is responsible for maintaining and improving Boston’s exceptional and dynamic mile-and-a-half of urban parks. Tickets and more information are available online at http://www.rosekennedygreenway.org/
On June 8, 2017 at 6 in the evening, the 2017 annual Greenway Gala will be held on the beautiful Rose Kennedy Greenway on Rowes Wharf Plaza at High Street. Enjoy an evening under the stars celebrating Boston’s premier public park. This year’s Gala Honoree is Citizens Bank, a lead supporter of The Greenway’s Park Ranger program, with Co-Chairs Jeffrey Beale of Eaton Vance and Michael J. Carragher of VHB.
For more information about the Gala and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Howard Breslau, Chief Development Officer, at 617-603-7727 or via email. Tickets will go on sale online at www.rosekennedygreenway.org.
Sponsorship Levels
The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy is looking for sponsors at the following levels.
Magnolia – $50,000
Verbal recognition from the podium
Featured listing on Gala invitation and signage, and featured on screens during the event
Featured listing on Greenway Gala website for one year
Access for twenty (20) guests to the Gala, with preferred seating and table signage
Private art tour of The Greenway with Greenway Public Art Curator, Lucas Cowan
Complimentary rental of the VIP space at one Greenway Block Party ($1,500 value, limit of 50 attendees, restrictions apply)
50 tickets for the Greenway Carousel at The Tiffany & Co. Foundation Grove
Cherry – $25,000
Verbal recognition from the podium
Featured listing on Gala invitation and signage, and featured on screens during the event
Featured listing on Greenway Gala website for one year
Access for fifteen (15) guests to the Gala, with preferred seating and table signage
Complimentary rental of the VIP space at one Greenway Block Party ($1,500 value, limit of 50 attendees, restrictions apply)
25 tickets for the Greenway Carousel at The Tiffany & Co. Foundation Grove
Dogwood – $15,000
Prominent listing on Gala signage and featured on screens during the event
Featured listing on Greenway Gala website for one year
Access for ten (10) guests to the Gala, with seating and table signage
Complimentary rental of the VIP space at one Greenway Block Party ($1,500 value, limit of 50 attendees, restrictions apply)
15 tickets for the Greenway Carousel at The Tiffany & Co. Foundation Grove
Hydrangea – $10,000
Prominent listing on Gala signage and featured on screens during the event
Featured listing on Greenway Gala website for one year
Access for ten (10) guests to the Gala, with seating and table signage
10 tickets for the Greenway Carousel at The Tiffany & Co. Foundation Grove
Lilac – $5,000
Listing on Gala signage and featured on screens during the event
Featured listing on Greenway Gala website for one year
Access for five (5) guests to the Gala, with shared seating and table signage
Make and Take on the Rose Kennedy Greenway is a joyful celebration of creation that is meant to spark discussion about how things were, are, and can be made.
The centerpiece of Make and Take is a 3D printer, perched on a glowing and translucent white acrylic box. Within the enclosure of the installation, which is reminiscent of both a vending machine and a museum case, plastic filament is algorithmically and mechanically composed into a rooster figurine.
The work speaks to the democratization of manufacturing. With technologies like the 3D printer used for Make and Take, individuals can now produce objects once made exclusively by wealthy enterprises. Make and Take shines a light on how accessible technologies make it possible for everyone to design and realize their ideas with significantly fewer resources. In encountering Make and Take, the public is invited to view a marvel of modern technology: the ability to ‘print’ physical objects. The 3D printer, while remaining to be a curiosity, can be purchased for the cost of a laptop. It is on its way to democratizing manufacturing and fabrication just as the computer and the Internet have democratized information.
The 3D-printed rooster – dispensed for free by the installation – was adapted from 3D scanning a porcelain artifact from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The original object belongs to a class of objects catalogued as “China for Export,” which denotes a class of porcelain created in China by Chinese artisans specifically for export to Europe and the Americas. The Chinese artisan(s) behind the porcelain is unknown, but now – through digital scanning and 3D printing – their work is shared with the world.
Chris Templeman is an artist, engineer, and educator. Raised in the Cleveland, Ohio area, Chris now lives and works in Somerville, Massachusetts. He works out of Artisan’s Asylum along with his collaborators at New American Public Art. In his engineering practice, Chris refines available technology for different contexts, making it more accessible in the process. Providing access to technology is a main theme in his work. Make and Take is his first major public art piece. Chris finds the most contentment in transforming his ideas into tangible objects. He welcomes opportunities to share the promise and perils of 3D printing through discussion and practice.
The exhibit is made possible with additional support from The Barr Foundation, Boston Cultural Council, KHJ Brand Activation, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
