Events
The West 104th Street Garden hosts a number of events throughout the year for garden members and the community, including seasonal festivals, Mothers Day plant sale, potlucks and flea markets. We also host special events including the West Park Montessori's preschool graduation and Make Music NY. If you would like to inquire about hosting an event at the garden, please download our special events registration form (13Kb PDF) or contact us for details (events@west104garden.org)
COMING UP:
Art Opening: Morse by Robert Salanda
Come to the garden Tuesday, October 18 from 6:30-8:30 for an opening by Czech artist, Robert Salanda. A presentation of the work will be held in the West Garden from 6:30-7:00pm, followed by a discussion and exhibition at WinterSpace, 15 W. 103rd Street, #4D from 7:00-8:30pm. For details, please contact Anna Lise Jensen at 212-865-2108.
(Click the image above to load an 8x10 flyer that you can print for posting in your building.)
PREVIOUS EVENTS:
Come to a Composting Party
The enchantment is back...Come to a lamplit celebration of decay. It's the West 104th Street's Community Garden's first Composting Party, October 13, from 6-8pm.
(Click the image above to load an 8x10 flyer that you can print for posting in your building.)
Peach Picking Time!
The annual Peach Picking party was held on Sunday, July 30 from 4-6pm.
A Farming Concrete weigh station was available to record the harvest. The peaches we collect should contribute mightily toward our federal grant weight goal!
The July 30 peach picking party totaled 25 pounds. A second harvest date was planned for August 14, 4-6pm. Unfortunately, unknown persons assumed to be renovation workers from 12 West 104th Street were seen cutting down branches overhanging the property line. Sadly much of our harvest was stolen and the careless, chopping meant that some branches required repairs. The Pruning committee repaired the damaged limbs, but our second harvest was cancelled. Please, please if you see anyone disrespecting our garden in any way, contact a Steering Committee member immediately.
Fourth of July Potluck
July 4th was our annual 4th of July Party!
West Garden at The W. 104th Street Gardens
12pm until sundown/9pm
Make Music NY's Summer Solstice Event
On June 21, Dian Sentino performed in the garden for this year's Make Music New York event. Garden members brought iced tea, lemonade and yummy zuchinni bread and enjoyed the jazz/pop/soul sound. Thanks to Dian and to MakeMusicNY for a lovely afternoon.
Play, Steering Premiered July 22
The play, "Steering" will premier in the West 104th Street Community Garden this Friday, 6pm and continue Saturday, July 23 at 3pm & 6pm, then Sunday at 3pm & 6pm. Lillian Meredith is curating the play by Lucy Gillespie as a part of a series of plays pertaining to the Community Gardens. It's free of charge.
For more info, check out the website: www.communitygardenproject.wordpress.com
Here is the flyer: http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=916fc3b5d047a0f191b0706dc&id=b736ee6ff5&e=
July 4th Potluck
Thanks for Kristin Ligocki for arranging the July 4th is our potluck 4th of July Party! held in the West Garden. Fun was had by all.
Make Music NY's Summer Solstice Event
On June 21, Dian Sentino performed in the garden for this year's Make Music New York event. Garden members brought iced tea, lemonade and yummy zuchinni bread and enjoyed the jazz/pop/soul sound. Thanks to Dian and to MakeMusicNY for a lovely afternoon.
Spring Flea Market
Our annual Flea Market was held on June 18. Among books and other goodies, Sumana Raychaudhu offered beautiful hand-made pottery. You can find Sumana's work at MUGI Pottery on Amsterdam Avenue at 109th Street.
Opening Potluck Brunch, March 13, 2011
The opening potluck brunch of the West 104th Street Commuity Garden was held at the Schneider Apartments. New steering committee members were elected including, Anne Levine and Nikki Kowalski, who are returning for another term, as well as new steering committee members Ariel Behr, Caroline Clark, Kristin Ligocki and Noreen Whysel. In addition, Marcia Berry will continue her role as Treasurer.
We recognized and thanked garden member, Pam Wax, who is leaving hte neighborhood and sadly will not be returning this season. We are enormously grateful for the stellar job Pam has done in coordinating the monitoring schedule. Walli Raninger has graciously offered to fill in as monitoring chair. Also,
2010 Events
A Winter Welcome to the Solstice --
The Celebration is Back!
Solstice neighbors and gardeners and those of druidical inclination celebrated the winter solstice in the garden on Saturday, December 18. The Winter Solstice (Dec. 21) marks the shortest day of the year and the true beginning of winter. Many early cultures burnt trees and went nuts with dance and song. This was done in an effort to tease the sun back into showing more of itself so they could get back to planting, raising crops and probably griping about friends and family who weren't applying themselves enough in the fields.
That being said, we at the West 104th Street Garden, use this event for a means to a good time while showing some real concern for those who don't have food or fields and are likely not having a very good time at all.
Gardeners participated in:
- A can drive (Donations going to City Harvest)
- Weird Medieval music
- A Solstice illumination spectacular
- A warming fire
- Plenty of hot cocoa (Yes, with marshmallows- Did you have to ask?) and tea time goodies
- Burning of the T. E. Jaworek Memorial Solstice Duraflame Log
- Introduction of the Minnie Mouse Fund for Garden Cat Care
In memory of our late garden cat, Minnie, we collected spare change for our garden cats. Donations will be applied to the care and feeding of our exterminatin' felines.
Halloween Party
Our Annual Halloween Party held on Saturday, October 30, hosted assorted ghouls, goblins and other assorted neighbors for ghoulish fun!
The decorations were creepy, thanks to a small crew the previous Saturday. Parent volunteers were on hand to organize games, hand out prizes, and break down after the event.
Thanks to all who contributed candy and baked goods. Thanks also to La Perla Garden for organizing the Plant Pick-Up by wheel barrow for the "Grinches."
Sunday, Nov. 14th - Final Potluck meeting
Our final potluck meeting was held on November 14th at the Schneider Apts.
September 18, 2010: A Lot of Possibilities
Left: a part of Norbert Attard's installation. Right: while preparing garden installations, Norbert and garden members got news his work will be permanently installed at I-Park, CT http://www.i-park.org/.
A Lot of Possibilities, Fall edition, featured a presentation and discussion by artists on their work in New York City's community gardens.
A Lot of Possibilities is a project by artist Anna Lise Jensen that aims to place contemporary artists' work in New York City's community gardens, and to create a dialogue between artists, gardeners and city officials. The desire to turn these gardens into partial sculpture gardens is driven both by aesthetic sensibility as well as municipal strategy: by adding the layer of cultural site, the community gardens stand a greater chance against future demolition.
On Sep. 18th. some of the participating artists discussed their projects (implemented or in process,) including Norbert Francis Attard, Suzanne Broughel, Alyssa Casey, Jennifer Sitron, Petra Valentova and Virginia Vergara. Picnic food was provided for all with music performed by Valentova (the premiere of Jonathan Velardi's Flamingo Parade inspired by the W. 104th St. Garden and selected to be part of Pixel Pops in October) and Christopher Blacker played his torch song for the gardens.
From September 13th - 18th, Anna Lise Jensen tweeted on two artists, Norbert Francis Attard and Jennifer Sitron, discussing and installing their work in Manhattan Valley gardens. In addition, she will be updating on the search for an amenable garden wall-owner for Velardi’s 30 feet Flamingo Parade and visiting local cafes to set up a display area for prints and information on A Lot of Possibilities. The tweets will also announce daily sites for gatherings and food where interested parties are welcome.
For more information on A Lot of Possibilities, contact Anna Lise Jensen, aaaonyc@gmail.com 212 865-2108 www.SpaceAllOver.org or follow Annalise on Twitter at @SpaceAllOver.
See a slideshow of this event.
Aug 5, 7pm: Concert in the Garden
We got together for an evening of music on the East Garden Stage Thursday, Aug 5, featuring some home grown talent and some new friends!
Peach Pickin' Time
The Annual Peach Harvest was held on Sunday evening, July 25th starting at 6 pm. Teams of pickers gathered plenty of fruit for everyone, including a passerby from Georgia who insisted on sampling our wares to be sure they are up to Georgia snuff. We sure think so!
A Farming Concrete weigh station was in operation to record the harvest. The 180 pounds of peaches we collected will contribute mightily toward our federal grant weight goal!
Stay tuned for pictures!
"A Lot of Possibilities"--Anna Lise Jensen's Art in the Garden
Anna Lise Jensen presented an art event in the garden on June 25 as part of "A Lot of Possibilities," an annual exhibition at WinterSpace, NY. Anna's view from her Winterspace apartment of a communal garden inspired her to become a garden member in 1996, and to write about the gardens in New York City and the exhibit exists to create a dialogue between artists, gardeners and the city, in order to help preserve the gardens."
This year's exhibit featured David Barr's installation, "A Project (untitled) for the W. 104th. Street Garden"
"Walking by the garden, I noticed that one of the sole unbridled forces of nature at work was that of the sun. The project takes the form of seven segments of mirrors, together forming a circle. The mirrors are placed around the garden, scattering their light as the day waxes and wanes, coalescing at noon onto the bare, east wall. A big part of the idea of the project is that it is always there, regardless of whether or not someone is there to see it. This would allow for the individual discovery of the work of someone walking down the street at noon, the random garden relaxer or art-appreciating finch."
—David Barr
"My desire to turn the communal gardens into partial sculpture gardens is driven by both aesthetic sensibility and municipal strategy: by adding the cultural capital of contemporary artists to the gardens, they stand a greater chance against future demolition."
—Anna Lise Jensen
Visit Anna Lise's A Lot of Possibilities website.
Make Music New York
On MONDAY, June 21, 2010 the West 104th Street Garden hosted Make Music New York, a citywide celebration in community gardens, with live music.
Montessori School Graduation
THURSDAY, June 17, 2010 Montessori 'Graduation' , 8 AM - 12 Noon, Stage area. The kids put on a charming 'fly-up' ceremony, getting ready for kindergarten in the Fall.
First Meeting of 2010 Season -- Potluck brunch
SUNDAY, April 18, garden members came together for an opening meeting, favorite dishes to share! Agenda included Sign-ups for monitor shifts, applications for those who haven't yet renewed, new members; Treasurer's Report, Committee assignments, Green Thumb & Rainwater System plus an update on the Wall / Fence; work projects; Election of Steering & Green Thumb reps and committee reports.
2009 Events
Halloween Party
Garden ghouls were scaring up some fun at the annual Halloween Party, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2009, replete with vendors, ethnic foods:
Peach Pickin' Time
Garden members came out Saturday, 7/25/09, to participate in our annual peach picking activity in the East Garden!
Montessori School Graduation
WEDNESDAY, June 18, 2009 Montessori 'Graduation' , 8 AM - 12 Noon, Stage area. The kids put on a charming 'fly-up' ceremony, getting ready for kindergarten in the Fall.
Make Music New York
On SUNDAY, June 21, 2009 the West 104th Street Garden hosted Make Music New York, a citywide celebration in community gardens, with live music
2009 Spring Festival and Mother's Day Plant Sale
Garden members and neighbors alike celebrated the arrival of Spring with a lovely day of shopping and eating. Vendors set up flea market wares along the East Garden sidewalk while member Paula McKenzie sold plants for the Mother's Day sale and Raleigh Mayer and Elena Gardner held sway over the bake goods table. If you got to try Josephine's red velvet cupcakes you were one of the lucky ones!
Many thanks to all those who helped out.
View a slideshow at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26803601@N05/tags/2009springfestival/show/
2008 Events
2nd Annual Garden Winter Solstice Tea Party
The second annual Garden Winter Solstice Tea Party was held on Saturday, December 20 in the garden.
A group of approximately twenty-five hearty souls gathered for the celebration. Many pounds of canned goods were received on behalf of City Harvest through the event's Yes We Can Can drive as well as $93.61 for the garden cats via the Spare Change for Cats initiative.
Many thanks to all those who helped brighten the shortest day of the year.
View a slideshow at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26803601@N05/tags/2009wintersolstice/show/
West 104th Street Community Garden Fall Festival
Saturday, October 25th
11am - 4pm
Rain date:
Sunday, October 26th
11am - 4pm
Kids Halloween games and parade - costumes
1pm - 3pm
The Garden hosted these activities:
- entertainment / music
- flea market along the sidewalk in front of the garden gates
- apples, cider and pumpkins for sale
- kids halloween treats, games, face painting
Making Music NY: A Summer Solstice Celebration
On Saturday, June 21, West 104th Street Community Garden members and others experienced a day of free music in celebration of the Summer Solstice, part of the Make Music New York Festival. The annual program is a a wonderful community event, featuring a childrens program, jazz, and classical music.
View a slideshow of this event
Children and their parents had an opportunity to work with classical musician Vita Wallace of Orfeo Duo who taught them how to make and play instruments in the garden.
Special thanks to our marvelous performers, each of whom were offered free supporting garden memberships:
JAZZ: The Rob Jacoby Quartet, with sax, guitar, base and drums.
JAZZ: Sam Salinger and friends
CLASSICAL: Royden Ringer woodwind duo
From our semiannual solstice celebrations to our flea market and the Twin Parks Montessori School Graduation, our garden is the site of a wide range of community events. Are you interested in hosting an event in our garden? Please call: Rolando Hudson, 212 865-6112, for information.