Peace Garden Board Members–Pictured from left (front)-Louise Wallace, Paula Savage, Carolyn Epps, back-from left-Lori DeFazio/Artist, Nancy Gannon, Dona Tiberio, Cathy Foster, Don Wallace, Michelle Cryer/Artist, back-center- Barb Toal. (Not pictured are Peace Garden Board members Berneda Scoins and Michele McCullogh)
Artists Lori DeFazio (left) and Michelle Cryer(right) were tasked with creating Peace Poles for the Peace Garden Memory Walk behind the County Courthouse at 1 West Main Street. The pair created two poles each for the Memory Walk. The Peace Garden purchased the poles with a grant through a GOArt.
“I took peace as a theme, and I tried to incorporate some peace signs and flowers reminiscent of peace in the 70s, its cool,” says DeFazio of the Town of Batavia, who created her poles the first week of October. She has also worked on the ships on the side of the courthouse previously and has works displayed all around WNY, New York City, and Pennsylvania.
DeFazio created her Peace Poles in her studio. Today was the first time they were displayed. Eventually there will be solar caps placed in top of each one, so they are visible at night.
“I hope people get enjoyment out of them, because I enjoyed painting them.”
“It was actually a fun process,” says Artist Michelle Cryer. The inspiration for mine was Always Be Kind. I was already thinking flowers and like nature and I was telling my friend Maria about it, and she was like if you have bees on there just have like BEE Kind, so that’s what I ended up going with. The other one was All you Need is Love, immediately my thoughts went to the 60s and so that’s all 60s inspired with peace signs and paisley and funky colors. It was a nice smaller project.”
A bench was donated in Diana Bogue’s name by her family. Diana was a board member and treasurer for the Peace Garden Board. Eventually a plaque with her name will be added to the bench.
Organizer Barb Toal says there are themes for all eight of the Peace Poles. Four were on display on Tuesday afternoon and four more will be created in the spring. The poles will be stored away during winter months.
Themes are:
Always Follow the Rainbow
Imagine Peace
Dream Big
Love Conquers All
Always Be Kind
Embrace Change
All You Need is Love
Peace Begins Here
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