Silversmithing photo by Tara Burns

WBCA In the News

East Metro Place Landscape Garden Celebration

by Carol Bryan, East Metro Women's Council

On an absolutely beautiful, warm bright afternoon on August 30th, East Metro Women’s Council (EMWC) celebra t e d t h e completion of a landscape project at the entrance to East Metro Place with an ice cream social. Gardens are about growth and renewal and ties in with what EMWC families are all about.

St. Paul Chamber of Commerce representatives Camie Quigley, Sheryl Marshall, and Elizabeth Albrecht added to the celebration with a ribbon cutting ceremony. East Metro Place participants, volunteers, supporters, and White Bear Lake City Manager, Mark Sather, also joined in on the festivities. Culvers of Vadnais Heights donated ice cream, cups, napkins, spoons and chocolate syrup for the event.

This project started out with a brainstorming session back in February 2005 with Suzi Hudson, Executive Director of White Bear Center for the Arts, and Marci Oltman, Director of Tamarack Nature Center. We all agreed that we wanted to use art as a powerful tool and communitybuilder to unite the larger community with our residents at East Metro Place and unite the families within the building.

Suzi Hudson thought of the idea of an Iron Pour for the children and wrote out a grant proposal provided by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. We set up workshops at East Metro Place to teach the process of iron pouring and had everyone make a claycasting mold symbolizing a specific word that captures the spirit of EMWC such as home, compassion, community, family, hope, empowerment, selfreliance, education, success, or dreams.

On Earth Day at Tamarack Nature Center, recycled iron was used to cast the designs into permanent tiles. Steve Harmon of Harmon Design, Inc. in Mahtomedi, with his time and talents, then designed and implemented the attractive community art piece that incorporated the tiles. With Steve’s meticulous attention to detail, he participated in all aspects of the project as our visionary artist, instructor, welder, and general contractor.

None of this would be possible without the generous support and sponsorship from our greater community. EMWC would like to recognize and thank our organizing team of:
• White Bear Center for the Arts
• Tamarack Nature Center
• Harmon Design, Inc.
• Foundry Education and Fine Arts

EMWC would also like to thank our supporters:
• Land O’Lakes Foundation
• Le Painter Auto Body
• Structural Wood Products, Inc.
• Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation
• Metropolitan Regional Arts Council

Copyright © 2007 East Metro Women's Council. All rights reserved.

More information about the East Metro Place Landscape Garden Celebration including photos from the event can be found in the Events section under Iron Pour.

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