Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Park beautification efforts by UrbAn and allies were unveiled on June 5th











On June 5th neighborhood residents joined us for the unveiling of a series of public art/neighborhood beautification projects that we call “Beautiful Blocks IV”. The components of this project are: 

• The youth art pillar (YAP) program utilized the talent of students at three local schools to create a second art pillar. Youth from Inland Seas School, St. Joshapat and U.S. Grant Schools designed tiles that represent important symbols and events of the Puerto Rican, German and African American populations that have settled in The Park Neighborhoods.

• A “Native Couple” park bench created by local artist Juan Flores that utilized funds from the Wisconsin Arts Board.

• The “Family Tree” program will add 13 trees to a highly visible area of Kosciuszko Park. This was made possible through a grant from the Southeast Wisconsin Watershed Trust, Inc. (Sweetwater). This program is a way of educating the public by linking ancestry to the environment. Trees donated by Park Neighborhoods residents will carry a small medallion dedicated to the favorite ancestor of the donor.

• Victorian gardens. UrbAn worked with a neighborhood horticulturalist to plan the grand Victorian gardens. These two semi circular gardens are on either side of the famous Kosciuszko Monument in a prominent area of Kosciuszko Park. These gardens once existed in Victorian times and will be similar to the originals, using shrubs and perennials.