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| Cassandra Bull in the Fassett GreenSpace |
Alfred, NY - Hear the story of how local
activists built a 72-foot meditation labyrinth on an abandoned lot, creating a
sculpture park, play space, and community garden in Wellsville, NY. Join alumna
Cassandra Bull, President of Art for Rural America, as she shares her
experiences in innovative place-making, social practice, eco art, and grant
writing. Bull's Bergren Forum, entitled: The Fassett GreenSpace: Transforming
Community through Art and Agriculture, will be given on Thursday April 11th,
from 12:10 p.m. to 1p.m. in Nevins Theater on the second floor of Powell Campus
Center on Alfred University's campus.
The Fassett lot, long before streets were
paved or named, was a gathering spot that gradually became a meeting hall, a
trading post, a boarding house and eventually the grand building erected in
1870 known as the Fassett House Hotel. From historic structure to hollow space
in downtown Wellsville, and now to an open whimsical park, the Fassett lot has
transformed in the past decade. In 2018,
hundreds of volunteers came together to show off their rural pride and
collaboratively create an outlet for sustainability. They say it takes a
village, and they were right. Learn what it took to for Bull and her partners
Elaine Hardman, Andrew Harris, and Andy Glanzman to engage an entire community.
Not only did Bull design a public sculpture earthwork for the lot, her
nonprofit built a mechanism that feeds local residents, reduces food insecurity
and teaches gardening, art, and physical education to many children’s groups in
the greater-Wellsville area.
Plans for the Fassett GreenSpace have grown
exponentially from the initial sculpture. The nonprofit has secured new
features such as an ensemble of six sculptural outdoor instruments, their very
own Fassett GreenSpace theme song, a Little Free Library, a bronze fountain
designed by Bill Underhill (cast by Alfred University), and a mosaic sign to
built by the community in the summer of 2019. Come to hear more about the park,
ask questions, and learn how you can be involved in this historic and creative
project.
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Art For Rural America (AFRA) enriches the
quality of life for all citizens living in rural communities through artistic,
cultural, and sustainable educational programming. For more information or to
get involved, visit www.artforuralamerica.org or contact
artforruralamerica@gmail.com.