Dreamer’s Garden: Local artist creates a gate for the Garden
Press release from City of Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The City of Gainesville’s Wild Spaces & Public Places program and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs are pleased to announce that a new artist-crafted gate has been installed at Dreamer’s Garden, located at the corner of NW 4th St. & NW 10th Ave.
“Gate of the Muses for Ray Charles” is a functional art piece created by Yaw Owusu Shangofemi (a.k.a. Hassan) using iron and mixed media. The project was made possible by Yaw’s generous donation of the artwork.
Dreamer’s Garden was created as a sensory garden that is meant to stimulate all five senses: sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste. The garden provides space for neighbors to grow vegetables and fruit while allowing visitors to connect to nature in its beautiful surroundings. Click here to view photos of the garden.
Funding for the brick columns to support the gate along with sidewalk and fence repair at the gardens was paid for by the City of Gainesville’s Wild Spaces & Public Places program. J.A.M. Construction, Inc. a small local business, performed the masonry work at a project cost of $8,600.00.
It’s a nice grassroots effort thanks to neighborhood leaders like Maria, and so close to the Mondays Farmers Market across the street!
The city is taking credit for the gate and the garden without a peep about those who have worked ceaselessly and selflessly for decades to create and maintain and enrich it as a beautiful space for small community events and volunteer activities and enjoyment? who sought the two gates to honor the artists and worked with them and raised funds to pay them and personally bring the gate from South Carolina and arrange its placement? Good that the city spent some WSPP taxes for their voter-intended use, at least, but maybe acknowledge the pure generosity of spirit behind the garden, gates and all.
Wow, this is really great news. The gate is really needed. But let me ask a question or two. The press release from the city indicates that the cost was $8,600.00 while the text with the photos page says the cost is $9,600.00. So… Who got the extra thousand?? And for the second question… How’s this going to reduce my GRU bill??
If I recall the gate will commissioned and paid for by private community fund rising, zero city dollars. The installation expense as stated above was paid for by “Wild Spaces & Public Places” which like the library system is a separate line item on property owners taxes. Not paid for by the city general fund and has ZERO to do with any of our GRU bills. Go visit the park, let it enrich your life. A smile would do us all well.
Wasn’t there another gate there he made?
It’s a 2nd entry.
The new Gate apparently replaces the “Gate of Philip”. Here’s a 2007 article – http://tinyurl.com/y25pt6wa
No, that’s a double gate. This one is a single gate.
That’s a beautiful piece of art. Thank you Gainesville and JAM Construction!
The gate is lovely. Thanks to Hassan for the gift of this beautiful art.