Historical February–March 2003 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Quietly located in the center of the McPherson Community Garden is the colorful butterfly garden, surrounded by towering sunflowers at summer’s peak. Its newest addition is a 7 foot tall multi-tiered planter created by sculptor Susannah Biondo.
A result of a call for entries for sculptors from neighbor Michelle Pike and the West End Arts Council, Biondo’s project was made possible with the support of several groups, including Feinberg Real Estate Company, Kingsbury Animal Hospital, the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council, Washington University, and the WU School of Art. October 19, 2002, was a beautiful evening for the installation ceremony. Neighbors, Washington U students, faculty and guests gathered at the McPherson Community Garden to watch the final preparations of the sculpture.
The evening was illuminated with torches, candles perched on garden rakes, and artistic lanterns by neighbor Ute Levi.
As the sun began to set, flames from the kiln built throughout the planter began to whisk through the clay and concrete structure, firing it in place.
Some ceramic pieces, which were built a few weeks earlier at a workshop by Biondo and the West End Arts Council, had been placed in the planter, and were fired along with the sculpture. Skinker DeBaliviere neighbors who attended the workshop received their ceramic pieces a few days later when the sculpture cooled.
In the spring, neighbors will replant the center section of the butterfly garden and plant flowers in the new planter. Flower bulbs provided by Operation Brightside have already been planted in and around the planter. Come by in the spring and see the work of Susannah Biondo and all of the McPherson Community Gardeners.
Original photograph caption
Sculptor Susanna Biondo and Garden Alive installation. Photo by Andy Cross.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, February–March 2003.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2003_02.pdf, printed page(s) 6; PDF page(s) 6.
