Art in the Park - SummerSet Arts Festival at Ronald Bog

The Ronald Bog Arboretum

Meridian Park Neighborhood resident and artist Cynthia Knox looked out her kitchen window onto Ronald Bog one day this spring and thought "the park keeps getting more and more beautiful with the restoration work that Dick Decker, Marty DeGrazia and volunteer crew keep doing. 

Wouldn't it be great to have a sculpture exhibition and neighborhood gathering in the park one day!". The next thing she knew she was chatting the idea up with Gretchen Atkinson, Meridian Park Neighborhood Association Board President.

Cynthia found out that Gretchen has long been an arts advocate for all things Shoreline and loved the idea of having the park dressed up for residents to enjoy. Having traveled to Europe and immensely enjoyed the art of Trafalgar Square in Britain, Gretchen had longed to have more art around her home city. 

Cynthia and Gretchen joined forces and began creating the event with the support of Ros Bird of the Shoreline Parks Department and Nora Smith of the Shoreline Office of Neighborhoods. The idea was presented and approved by the Shoreline Parks Board at the end of April. In May, Shoreline Arts Council came on board as co-sponsors of the event.

The project is called SummerSet Arts Festival: Celebrating Ronald Bog 

It has four components. 

1. There will be a professional artists sculpture exhibition that will be up in the park for two weeks. 
2. There will also be several sculptures made from gathered materials in the park that will remain over time to naturally disintegrate. 
3. Thirdly, there will be a traveling community art-making table that will be showing up at the Farmer's Market, Top Foods Market Cafe, Ronald Bog Park, and other local places within Meridian Park Neighborhood. 
4. To cap off the summer of art-making, a day of celebration is planned for September 15th from 1-5pm in Ronald Bog Park. Everyone is invited to come and enjoy a variety of live acoustic music including: jazz, rock, old-time music, and more, while participating in art-making with your neighbors and other fun activities.

SummerSet Arts Festival needs you! 

Meridian Park residents are needed to join the event steering committee, help make art for the exhibition, play music, be a park tour guide, work the welcome table, etc. Be a part of the fun and contribute your gifts to the neighborhood! All ages welcome. Contact Cynthia Knox or call 206-218-3302.