The community is invited to install a public art piece at the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation’s (NNJCF) ArtsBergen initiative’s ‘The Big Weave’. Join the fun on Saturday, May 4 (rain date May 11) from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The weaving takes place at Oscar E. Olsen Park, located at 157 West Main Street in Bogota, New Jersey. Furthermore, this artistic endeavor represents the final phase of the project, The Path of Us: A Public Art Fence Weaving.
People of all ages — children, teenagers, and adults — help install the community developed fence weaving to beautify Oscar E. Olsen Park. Attendees meet other community members and bring family and friends to make their mark on a semi-permanent public art piece on display for a year. The Path of Us, a large-scale weaving, will follow the fence at Oscar E. Olsen Park on West Main Street before the Lt. William C Ryan (USMC) Memorial Bridge (formerly the Midtown Bridge) in Bogota. Participation is free. Good-will donations are also welcome to defray the costs of the installation. Free parking is available in the park’s lot.
Participants may join the fun any time and stay, as long as they want and stand or sit to create the weaving. Community members may also bring a stool or chair to sit on while weaving.
Connection Between Hackensack River and Communities
“The path represents the people of Bergen County in the past, present and future. Made from plastic ribbons woven into the chain link fencing, white zigzag lines connect diamonds forming frames for the participants’ weavings. Furthermore, blue zigzag lines represent the Hackensack River. The design highlights 3-D printed tokens created at the Bergen Makerspace to embellish the ‘path’. The project also shows the connection between the Hackensack River and the communities it flows through — the people, history, values, animals, natural terrain, and architecture,” said Danielle De Laurentis, Associate Director, Northern New Jersey Community Foundation.
Public Art Joins the Environment
The Path of Us: A Public Art Fence Weaving project is done in collaboration with the Borough of Bogota and Bogota Beautiful in celebration of Earth Day. In addition, this fun opportunity combines the arts and the environment to beautify the area and enhance the quality of life in Bergen County. Public artist Katherine Daniels assists participants in creating the weave.
The Big Weave also culminates community members’ participation in the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation’s ArtsBergen initiative’s Connect the Dots workshops. The workshops occurred on February 25 and April 11. Participants established the theme and designed weavings and 3-D printed and laser cut tokens to embellish the fence.
This program has been made possible in part by a grant administered by the Bergen County Department of Parks, Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs from funds granted by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Accessible Site
The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation commits to ensuring its programs and services are accessible. The venues provides designated handicapped parking in the parking lot. Attendees requiring a special accommodation or with specific questions about the physical features of a facility where the NNJCF meets or provides programs, may call (201) 568-5608 at least two weeks prior to an event or activity.
For further information about the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, contact nnjcf@nnjcf.org or call 201-568-5608.
