Mark your calendars! Please save the date for the Fassett GreenSpace Shade Pavilion ribbon cutting event to be held on Saturday August 28th at 4pm.
Over the last four years, local nonprofit Art for Rural America has transformed a vacant lot on 55 North Main Street in Wellsville into a space where families can get free, high quality produce while interacting with their neighbors. The Fassett lot is now a public garden in the village, with 2,000 square feet of growing space in circular raised beds, an ensemble of sculptural musical instruments, a one-of-a-kind Bill Underhill fountain, a Little Free Library, and mosaic artwork. The newest addition to the Fassett GreenSpace is a shade pavilion with two rows of bleacher-like built-in bench seating. This construction adds an additional area to grow more native plants and host community events. Most importantly, the pavilion provides shade and protection from the elements for visitors. One of the shade sails is currently installed, and two more sails will be installed prior to the 28th.
The roughly hour and a half ribbon cutting event will consist of a recognition of donors and supporters and overview of the history of the project, followed by a live dance performance within the labyrinth. Local dance instructor, Kate Martelle, choreographed a piece that exhibits dancers as they move between the garden’s walls, interacting with flowers, herbs, and vegetables. The performance debuted earlier in August and will be performed once again to showcase the creative spirit the Fassett GreenSpace Project brings to the Wellsville community. Following the dance and ribbon cutting, volunteers will give tours of the public garden. Local musicians will join for an inaugural music performance using the new shade sail pavilion.
The Fassett GreenSpace Shade Pavilion has support from: the Village of Wellsville, Alfred State College, LC Whitford, Wellsville Development Corporation, Clark Patterson Lee, Glenn Zweygardt, the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation through the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, Giant Food, The East Hill Foundation, the Western New York Foundation, Art Services Inc., and many more volunteers.
Please contact Board President, Cassandra Bull, at 518-937-3234 or ArtforRuralAmerica@gmail.com for more details or to be involved. To learn more about the project, visit www.artforruralamerica.org or follow the Fassett GreenSpace Project on Facebook.
