FHS Environmental Club helped create an interactive exhibit of native plants, grasses, and perennials with educational posters along the way
Framingham Garden Club (FGC) members – in collaboration with Framingham High School (FHS) students – recently welcomed Spring with an exciting four-day “Bridges and Blooms” community art exhibit at the Village Hall. This FHS event celebrated the intersection of art, science, and history, with a focus on native plants and the environment. The exhibit featured the students’ creative works, like photography, botanical creations and other vibrant creations and artwork. It was coordinated by FHS Art teacher Kate Millman and Biology and Environmental Science Teacher Rebecca Maynard. FGC collaborated with the high school and the show was supported by several local sponsors, like Framingham Rotary Club, Fran’s Flowers, Rivers Edge, and Russell’s Garden Center.
FGC’s Meera Mathur assembling a Synergistic design in FHS student Higor Nunes’ (10th grade) ceramic containers
As part of the exhibit 20 FGC members partnered with students in FHS’s ceramics classes to create “Stretch” and “Synergistic” creative floral designs, using the student’s unique containers. It was FGC’s first intergenerational collaboration with local students in 10 years. Each design featured two or three containers of flowers and other plant materials which were connected like a bridge with other plant materials such as Pussy Willows, Lily grass, Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick, and wooden materials, among others. The talented students created their containers in various sizes, themes and colors after meeting with FGC members in Millman’s ceramics classroom.
Some of the 20 FGC members who participated in Bridges
One of two large tables at Village Hall with FGC designs in student-made containers
Carol Hicks talks with Rep. Jack Lewis at the opening reception
FGC’s coordinators were President Shannon Fitzpatrick and Design Committee Chair Ruth Evans. Member designers were: Minal Akkad, Maria Chaput, Sue Cohen, Joyce deLemos, Ruth Evans, Eileen Fialkow, Suzanne Fioretti, Shannon Fitzpatrick, Marie Giorgetti, Olga Goryanova, Marilyn Hanley, Susan Hehir, Kathy Hoogeboom, Margery Karger, Pam Keeney, Aparna Kumar, Meg Kelley, Aparna Kumar, Lianne Manzella, Nancy Martin, Meera Mathur, Betsy Szymczak, and Pat Towle.
Framingham Garden Club appreciates the support of the Framingham Cultural Council that helped fund this important educational initiative for the Framingham community. Framingham’s historic bridges inspired this project, symbolizing unity, change, transition, and connections.
A miniature Stretch Design by Minal Akkad, Marilyn Hanley and Meg Kelley
Synergistic design by Meera Mathur and Shannon Fitzpatrick
A Stretch design by Betsy Szymczak, Marie Giorgetti and Margery Karger in containers made by 9th grader Nicole Chipolone
