The new restricted funds will be used exclusively to clean up, maintain, and beautify our outdoors.
SECCA's 23-acres encompass a man-made lake beautifully oriented within the landscape, hundreds of mature and specimen trees, a large sloping lawn that acts as a natural amphitheater, wooded paths with recently constructed bridges criss-crossing a natural creek system, an old boxwood parterre garden, and an elegant brick terrace.
The landscape is also prominently on view within SECCA. The south-facing side of the modern wing of the museum is built almost entirely of floor-to-ceiling glass windows, making the exterior just as much a part of the visual experience of visiting SECCA as the art within.
SECCA's gardens and grounds are badly in need of attention, however. Several trees have fallen into the lake with several more dangerously leaning in that direction. The lake's dam is broken. The paths around the lake are overgrown. The rose garden and boxwood parterre are overgrown and dying. There is much to be done to ensure that the area is safe and properly maintained for museum visitors and the neighborhood.
The good news is that the State has agreed to fix the dam this year and several neighbors have expressed interest in helping SECCA with a focused effort on the garden and grounds. Once we have achieved a basic level of maintenance, we are excited to explore the further potential of SECCA outdoors.
We imagine adding outdoor art and a smart playscape for engaging children visiting the museum. We imagine accessible event spaces for concerts, film screenings, performances, and coffee or cocktail pop-ups. We imagine cleaned up spaces for summer camps that explore intersections between art and the natural world. We imagine first time visitors recognizing immediately upon pulling into our gate that they have arrived at a word-class destination.
FIRST STEPS
Please consider making a gift to SECCA's Garden and Grounds Fund. These funds will be used exclusively to clean up, maintain, and beautify our outdoors.