The Fitchburg Cultural Alliance and I had a booth at the 2009 Fitchburg Forge-in to talk with people in attendance about the Art on Water Street Bridge project. Everyone that I stopped to chat with throughout the day was very polite, and thoughtful with their opinions. It was also great to hear that people had heard of the project either through the FATV short video (coming soon), or from the banner that is hanging at the foot of Water Street Bridge. If someone had not yet heard of the project, they were eager to offer ideas and thrilled with the concept of public art on Water Street Bridge.
Some highlights from the people I spoke with include:
“Fitchburg is a surrounded by a horse-shoe of hills.”
“Tell a story, because people stop and go a lot on the bridge. With a story there can be a beginning, middle and an end.”
Coggeshell Park was a ‘real treasure’ and one woman fondly remembers taking her kids to feed the swans.
Some imagery that is swirling around in my head is:
Wheels. Water. Paper. Bricks. Architecture. Industry. Diversity. Motion. Movement. Energy. Patterns.
While several people I spoke with were not from Fitchburg, it was still an opportunity to hear about their opinions of Fitchburg and what they could imagine as inviting. It was delightful to speak with people of all ages. I also enjoyed spending time with the two police officers that were working the festival. It was apparent that they loved the civic environment and were proud of their hometown. They believed that the buildings and infrastructure are the foundation of Fitchburg.
Susan Madacsi was the juror at this years festival, you can view her work here.
Thanks to everyone that braved the fall chill, made it to the festival and stopped for a moment. Personally, I’d like to thank Monty Tech for providing the hot soup that kept a lot of us going throughout the day! Lastly, kudos to Achla for creating a wonderful event.
Forge a decorative panel or register to show off your skills with live forging! Lots of cash prizes and fun to be had at The third annual Fitchburg Forge-In Saturday October 17, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Riverfront Park off Boulder Drive, in Fitchburg, MA.
I look forward to this next event where I will get to meet and speak with all of you in attendance, as well as participate in some forging myself!
Get your registration form with all of the details here.
