EASTHAMPTON — Community members can relish in the perfect blend of local art and gardens at the inaugural Art in the Garden walk, a self-guided tour taking place this Saturday at multiple locations throughout Easthampton.
Hosted by Easthampton City Arts (ECA) during the 20th anniversary of its inception, the event takes place from 2-5 p.m. The self-guided tour features Easthampton’s downtown residential and home gardens blended with local art.
Here is a list of this year’s participating artists and host gardeners:
- 60 Main St. in the garden of the restaurant Galaxy, by artist Pamela Matsuda-Dunn
- 20 Park St. in the garden of artist Iris Wheaton
- 24 Winter St. in the garden of Marcia Morrison by artist Sue Fontaine
- 46 Ward Ave. in the garden of artist Paul Specht, and Eileen M. Travis
- 80 Williston Ave. in the garden of artist Eileen Jager
Pasqualina Azzarello, arts and culture program director for the city and ECA, is excited to host the garden walk that was postponed from its original date in June.
“We are really thrilled to be hosting the inaugural art in the garden event … ” she said. “Art in the Garden has been a labor of love when it comes to planning and visioning. It was certainly a disappointment to have to postpone it.”
The walk will overlap with the Art Walk Easthampton that occurs on the first Saturday of each month, with exhibitions and happenings taking place at nearby locations from 4-7 p.m. this Saturday.
Azarello noted the event will highlight native plants and pollinators and their importance to environmental sustainability. She worked closely with the city’s Conservation Agent Eva Gerstle, and Sustainability Coordinator Sophie Protano, to make this vision come to life.
“Planting native plants and pollinators is one of the best things that someone can do, and to be adding them to residential spaces collectively can make a huge impact on both the local and broader environment,” she said. “Because Easthampton City Arts works within the municipality, and because native plants and pollinators are a significant component to the environmental sustainability vision for the city of Easthampton, it’s something we wanted to combine.”
Azzarello looked back to when Easthampton first began organizing the Porchfest, a music festival inspired by open art studios allowing music lovers to visit different houses in the city hosting live music. The Garden Walk is heavily inspired from the model of Porchfest, encouraging community connections.
“There was something really special about the grassroots nature and the integration of art in residential areas, and we were thinking of other ways to bring art into different residential neighborhoods in the community,” Azzarello said about the Porchfest inspiring Art in the Garden.
Azarello began working at ECA nine years ago and has seen the Art Walk and arts in Easthampton grow substantially. She hopes to continue that growth by implementing more events like this.
“Easthampton has grown and evolved tremendously since its inception, largely because of all of the arts and cultural events taking place among so many different organizations and venues throughout and downtown Easthampton,” Azarello said. “Arts and culture has been a very significant economic driver for the city.”
More information about the Easthampton Art Walk can be found on the ECA website, easthamptoncityarts.com.
