Community Outreach Group for Landscape Design hosts 2005 Project Showcase
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 10, 2005
Contact: Susan Opton
sopton@hotmail.com
Phone: 781-449-5256
Landscape design volunteer organization celebrates community garden projects
at North Easton’s historic Oakes Ames Memorial Hall
BOSTON, September 26, 2005
– The Community Outreach Group for Landscape Design (COGdesign), a non-profit
service organization of landscape design professionals and students, invites the
public to its 2005 Design Showcase. “Easton: Touring Richardson,
Olmsted, Steele, and New Visions” will be held on Saturday, October 22 from
12:15 PM to 4:00 PM at North Easton’s historic Oakes Ames Memorial Hall.
The event includes an exhibit of community landscape design projects, a walking
tour of North Easton’s historic buildings and gardens with local docents, and
a reading by North Easton resident Chet Raymo from his acclaimed book, “The
Path: A One-Mile Walk Through the Universe.”
This year’s
Showcase will be held at the Oakes Ames Memorial Hall, a Henry Hobson
Richardson/Fredrick Law Olmsted architectural masterpiece rarely open to the
public. COGdesign organizers have developed an interpretive walking tour
of North Easton’s Historic District, including stops at several
Richardson-designed buildings, Olmsted landscapes, and a newly restored Fletcher
Steele-designed private garden. Local historians will be on site ready to
point out architectural and garden details and share local history and lore.
Special guest Chet
Raymo will set the scene for tour-goers. Raymo, a former Boston Globe
columnist and nationally recognized science writer, has lived in North Easton
and taught at Stonehill College for nearly forty years. His observations
while on his daily walk through North Easton’s meadows and woods connects the
local to the global and the microscopic to the galactic with a scientist's
curiosity, a historian's respect for the past, and a child's capacity for
wonder.
This annual event
gives COGdesign volunteers an opportunity to share their passion with the
public. At the Oakes Ames Memorial Hall, COG’s designers will exhibit
recently-completed community landscape projects. Community activists will
be on hand to provide “the face, hands, and heart” behind each community
greening project. Guests are also invited to visit a COGdesign
work-in-progress at the Children’s Museum in Easton.
“This is a rare
chance to enjoy treasured buildings and gardens in the company of volunteers
dedicated to making our world a lovelier and healthier place,” said COGdesign
Executive Director Lucia Droby. ”We look forward to meeting neighbors,
exploring new project ideas, and showing how community – designer
collaborations can yield beautiful results.”
Light refreshments
will be offered during the afternoon. Admission is $40 in advance; $45 at
the door. The invitation can be found on www.cogdesign.org.
Proceeds from the event will be used to support community greening projects.
The Community
Outreach Group for Landscape Design (COGdesign) is a non-profit service
organization of professional and student landscape designers, landscape
architects, architects, and greenspace advocates dedicated to bringing quality
landscape design services to under-funded community organizations and
neighborhood groups. COG designers work pro bono in exchange for the
experience and satisfaction of contributing to the community landscape.
COGdesign clients
have included schools, churches, neighborhood parks, friends’ groups,
municipal agencies, affordable housing developments, historic sites, and
community gardens. COGdesign acts as a facilitator between these community
organizations and landscape designers who are looking for professional
development opportunities and community-based field experience. Clients
benefit from the innovative and creative work of COG’s designers.
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