The Art Garden's Story
The Art Garden is a work-in-progress!
What follows is a ‘work-in-progress’ version of a long and rich story that involves relationships with so many people whose contributions of ideas, time, creativity and work have shaped who we are.
For a detailed look at our history,
you can visit our old website/blog at theartgarden.wordpress.com
The Art Garden was founded in 2009 by teaching and community artist Jane Beatrice Wegscheider. A commitment to conversation, collaboration, community engagement and responsiveness to community needs has shaped The Art Garden’s development.
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Jane had many conversations with community members while physically creating an intergenerational, community studio environment designed
to support self-directed, creative exploration in the visual arts.
She and other community members donated art supplies, an art-focused library
and an eclectic assortment of beautiful junk that can be repurposed into art.
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Community donations continue to flow into our studio for creative use by people of all ages.
At the suggestion and guidance of artist and charities attorney
Peter Chadwick (who was attending
Art Garden Figure Drawing),
we incorporated as a non-profit
arts organization in 2011.
Thank you, Peter and founding board members John Hoffman, Kate Lawless and Pamela Snow! Thank you to all of our board members over the years who have helped guide our work.
Core artist collaborators Phyllis Labanowski
and Laura Iveson began working with The Art Garden
in 2011 and 2013 respectively.
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Phyllis and Jane co-created interactive public art projects and co-developed and co-facilitated the first five years of ARTeens.
Laura and Jane collaborate on The Art Garden’s
large scale community art-making projects, including
The Art Garden at the Green River Festival and the HooPla.
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Laura developed and directs the Draw-Around. Laura and Jane currently co-facilitate ARTeens.
Community members work collaboratively with Art Garden facilitators to co-create community art projects, contributing hundreds of hours,
while noting the personal creative benefits of being
part of an intergenerational collaboration.
All of our summer programs are collaborations.
And with grant support, teens and young adults are
paid assistants in programs for younger children and
paid artists and interns in large scale community art projects.
This website was designed by former ARTeen
Micah Goldstein in collaboration with Jane.
Micah attended four years of ARTeens and volunteered in many large-scale projects. After graduating, she worked collaboratively as a paid artist with Laura and Jane to offer virtual ARTeens programming and support for our
Young Art Leaders program during the early pandemic years.
Micah’s story reflects The Art Garden’s commitment to nurturing relationships that support both individuals and community.
