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Date: 5/31/2022
SOUTH HADLEY – In an effort to bring public art to South Hadley spaces, the Conservation Commission and a class from Mount Holyoke College have teamed up to bring a new mural to Buttery Brook Park.
Mount Holyoke professor Pasqualina Azzarello and her students worked together through the school’s first ever course in public arts. A connection made between Conservation Administrator Rebekah Cornell and Azzarello provided a public art space for the class to use for a class project.
Cornell, who started working for the town in 2021, said internal discussions within the Conservation Department were focused on how to activate South Hadley spaces and different planning methods to liven areas of the town. She even went to some Easthampton officials for advice on bringing public art to spaces and other activities in town spaces.
Cornell eventually met Azzarello, who informed her of the class project, and the two soon found themselves driving through South Hadley together looking for potential spaces for public art.
“Public art for me has always been something for me that can be anywhere and should be everywhere,” Cornell said.
Cornell said the two drove to Buttery Brook Park and immediately Azzarello was excited about the bathroom building near the playground and splash pad at the park. After thinking it over more, they decided this would be the best space for public art at Buttery Brook.
The proposed location was embraced, and the rest is history according to Cornell.
“When you’re looking at public art, there are a lot of factors: Location, client and audience. Pasqualina worked with students from concept to reality,” Cornell said. “It was a great opportunity for students and it’s really exciting.”
Cornell said that some other pieces of art done by students during the course will be on display this summer at the South Hadley Library. These are smaller pieces done compared to the mural and will be showcased alongside the library’s summer program “Off the Beaten Path” that focuses and highlights the environment around South Hadley residents.
Cornell said Azzarello worked with students on the theme of the mural and found themselves overlapping in some ways through themes of nature but also their own theme of focusing on the Indigenous life that used to live on the same land.
“Students art was focused on the Indigenous population that used to live on these lands and that impact – recognizing that change in dynamic, as well as the change humans have on the environment, was important to students,” Cornell said.
When coming up with the best idea, it was quickly apparent that the community that appreciates the outdoors would probably appreciate a piece of art celebrating it.
“Feedback from the public is very strong that people in South Hadley really do value the natural resources and environment,” Cornell said.
She added she mentioned this to Azzarello and they both envisions a project that could bring people close to the environment they so much appreciate.
Cornell said the conservation team will continue to look for ways to activate other spaces in South Hadley and work toward protecting the different watery sheds in town and help residents better understand the importance of water quality.
For the mural itself, it is now up on the bathroom walls of Buttery Brook Park by the playground area. Cornell credits the Mount Holyoke class for an outstanding project and is hoping for more success stories for public art in South Hadley moving forward.
“The concept is really interesting to see how it was done and then see the final product was just absolutely excellent and inspiring,” Cornell said.