Dunbar's 50th Anniversary Garden

The Community Invitation from 2009

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The Winter of 2009 - Community invitation to participate.

In celebration of Dunbar Community Centre’s 50th Anniversary the community is being invited to participate in making art for the bird and butterfly garden that will be planted in the area around the drinking fountain and circle. Within the garden there will be beautiful wooden beams that will have designs created by you! the community, and cut into the wood by Artist Pat Beaton. Through the winter and spring Pat is going to be working with community members to create a wide variety of wonderful paper cut out designs that will be transferred later to the wooden beams for the garden. The garden is being designed to attract birds and butterflies. The artwork in the garden will reflect the spirit of these amazing creatures and local influences.

May 31st - Celebration

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The newly planted garden - photo by Doug Kilburn

photo by Doug Kilburn

planting day - photo by Doug Kilburn

Salmonberry Day and Ribbon Cutting - May 31st 2009

the Ribbon Cutting

And of course - Cake

Congratulations!

Jane Wolsak and Pat Beaton - happy artists

The Garden!

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Come Celebrate!

Dunbar Community Centre's 50th Anniversary Garden
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on

Sunday May 31, 1pm

in conjunction with Salmonberry Days
Community Fair 11am to 3pm

Dunbar Community Centre
West Memorial Park
4747 Dunbar Street

The Dunbar Community Centre’s 50th Anniversary Garden

Over this past winter you have probably seen the garden site, adjacent to the drinking fountain and circular patio area in the park develop into a full fledged Art Garden.

How did this come to be?! Through the efforts of Artist Pat Beaton, a fabulous committee, great Community Centre staff, Park Board folks and of course the creative spark of the community who contributed all the designs for the posts we were able to create an Art Garden that truly reflects the people who live, work and play in the area.

During the winter months 7 workshops were held and people visiting and using the center were invited to create designs for the carved posts that would be going into the garden. We had hundreds of contributions from youth, movie goers, basketball players, families, preschoolers, squash players, weight lifters, artists, math whizzes, grandparents, aunties, nannies, dads, dancers, moms, dog walkers, centre staff, instructors, and board.

The workshops resulted in a blizzard of colourful artworks that were then carefully laid out and the designs for the posts were selected– based on a variety of images and ensuring that there were designs from each of the workshops included.

Following this the newly reopened wood working room saw Pat and her two helpers Jane Wolsak and Paula Grasdal router the designs into the cedar posts. With encouragement and fresh orange slices from the Table Tennis Masters the artwork was complete by the end of April.

Off to the Parks Board Works Yard the posts went to get their final sealing. The boulders for the garden were then chosen and delicately placed in the garden beds – using a front-end loader! May 13th a crew of 3 very jovial fellows came and installed the carved posts in the garden. They did an excellent job and the garden was already for planting by the Garden Committee.

By the time you are reading this the garden will be complete and will be standing as a celebration to the wonderful community that brought it to fruition and the Dunbar Community Centre’s 50th Anniversary.

Special thanks to the Dunbar Community Centre Association and Vancouver Parks Board Matching Funds program for your support of the project and to Erica Levy, Tanya Donaldson, and a committee of dedicated volunteers who guided the process with good humour, great snacks, and inspiring enthusiasm. Special thanks to all the Park Board staff who were a great support with the posts, boulders, plants, the gardens and for your insightful advise at each stage of the process.

Planting the Garden on May 21st

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Preparing Display for Salmonberry Days

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On Friday May 15th the Board came in and carefully collaged every piece of artwork that was contributed to the project to large sheets of paper. The sheets will be laminated and hung on display at the Salmonberry Days Community Fair. Tanya brought snacks and beverages and a good time was had by all. Thanks everyone!

May 13th - the Installation of the Posts

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one fine morning

the carefully packed posts were brought to the garden

and the installation began

all right side up

each of them plunked into place waiting for height adjustment and orientation

then set properly into the ground

The Post Finish

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Here are some images from the final days of the post finishing. They have all been sanded and look quite handsome all cleaned up. It was wonderful to have the workshop to create the 12 posts and we were happy for the careful supervision and nice orange slices provided by the Table Tennis Masters.

Boulder Day - April 30th

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The boulders were put inot place on Thursday. Much running between the stockpile of rocks and the garden site and all went well thanks to the delicate work done with shovels and the front end loader.

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Thanks to the Dunbar Community Centre Association and the Vancouver Parks Board Neighbourhood Matching Funds for their support of this project.

For more information on the Matching Funds program check http://vancouver.ca/parks/arts/nmf/index.htm

April 13. We are at the half way mark after a long weekend of carving.

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Carved bird design

new gear for dust storms
Paula is helping with the finish sanding

The Workshop - day one

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Jane and Pat - in our dashing outfits

the first post being cut

the posts all sorted

Imagining Boulders

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The Boulders
Tanya pointing to the spot that a boulder will be placed in the gardenTanya pointing to a boulder

Preparing the Designs for Carving

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Images have been traced and are ready to be transferred to the wood post for carving

Tracing the paper cutouts

laying out the designs for the posts - community made paper cutouts
the kitchen table all marked out in post widths

some more fabulous artwork

drawing of the garden site

Paper Cutting Designs for the Posts

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The New Garden Beds - Feb 2009

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The Garden Site - Before

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