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LONGWOOD GARDENS TO OPEN NEW EAST CONSERVATORY PLAZA DESIGNED BY KIM WILKIE ON OCTOBER 9, 2010 First Terraced Lawn in the United States by Renowned British Landscape Architect Will Feature Largest Indoor “Living Wall” in North America with More Than 47,000 Plants Public Opening Features Special Events, Talks and Tours: Oct. 9, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Longwood Gardens’ new East Conservatory Plaza, featuring the first terraced lawn in the United States designed by landscape architect Kim Wilkie and the largest indoor green wall in North America, will open to the public on Oct. 9, 2010. The dynamic new gathering space and venue for educational talks, horticultural demonstrations and special events continues Longwood founder Pierre S. du Pont’s legacy of creating spaces that integrate into the natural landscape. The East Conservatory Plaza is composed of five tiers of sweeping grass-covered terraces that emerge like steps from the landform. The Plaza is surrounded by woodland plantings, including a more than 200-year- old English Yew. The innovative design of the terraced lawn creates a sculptural clearing, allowing for dramatic views of the Topiary and other gardens to the south, as well as of the East Conservatory façade. “Kim Wilkie’s unprecedented design for the East Conservatory Plaza is deeply rooted in tradition, while also embracing innovative landscape design, which captures the very essence of Longwood Gardens,” said Director Paul Redman. “The plaza – both as a place of quiet contemplation and a site for creative programming – will engage our guests in new and exciting ways, advancing our mission to expand upon what a public garden is and what it offers to the public,” said Redman. A special day-long symposium on “Leadership in Landscapes” led by Kim Wilkie, will be held at Longwood on Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for innovators in the fields of architecture, design, horticultural and landscape design. In addition, a members-only talk with Kim Wilkie is scheduled for Oct. 9 at 10 a.m. The East Conservatory Plaza has been integrated into the landscape by the careful placement of red maple, sweet-gum, bald-cypress, eastern red-cedar, tulip-tree, as well as southern bush-honeysuckle, Japanese holly, Virginia sweetspire and other shrubs, all of which are intended to enhance and extend the plantings of the surrounding landscape. The composition of the sod in the plaza is a special formulation created by Longwood Gardens. It includes a mix of two varieties of Kentucky bluegrass and three varieties of Tall fescue. The blend was selected for its early green color and resistance to disease. Currently, 65,000 square feet of sod is being grown for Longwood at Tuckahoe Turf Farm in New Jersey. Because of the slope of the terraced landform, Longwood is using a novel and innovative combination of overhead and subsurface irrigation systems to provide adequate and efficient hydration. An overhead system alone would not suffice because of the potential for water to run off the slope; the subsurface irrigation system, which lies just below the surface, combats the runoff and supplements irrigation. A special feature of the plaza is an unprecedented new concept of domed, naturally lit lavatory cabinets hidden within the landform. While examples of top-lit domes exist, particularly in Islamic architecture, underground domed cabinets such as these have never before been used for contemporary lavatories. A curving glass-roofed corridor spine running between the two rows of lavatory domes is surrounded by a massive “living” or green wall, which will be the largest indoor living wall of its kind in North America. Longwood’s new vertical garden features a panel wall system to support more than 47,000 plants and encompasses a surface area of 3,590 square feet — making it more than 50% larger than the current largest indoor green wall in North America at PNC Bank in Pittsburgh. The majority of the 25 species of plants featured in Longwood’s living wall are fern varieties including the evergreen Holly Fern, the versatile and showy Rabbit’s Foot Fern, the Button Fern, the Asparagus Fern with its feathery arching stems, and the delicate and lacy Maidenhair Fern, among others. “The history of Longwood Gardens, from Pierre du Pont’s founding vision to the Garden’s commitment to environmental stewardship, education and the arts, very much informed and inspired the design for the East Conservatory Plaza,” said Kim Wilkie. “I wanted to create a gentle environment of light and shade that would be transformed by the changing hours of the day, a place where people could relax in the morning sunshine, enjoy views out onto the rest of the Gardens, take in a special event, or perhaps even attend a sparkling party at night.” Learn more at www.kimwilkie.com and www.longwoodgardens.org. |
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| The Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft Receives Grant from Target for Price Elementary Project The Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft (KMAC) today announced a partnership with Target in recognition of its efforts in promoting and supporting art and craft excellence in Kentucky. The $2,000 grant will be used to support an Artist-in-Residence project that will take place from October to December of this year at Price Elementary School, located at 5001 Garden Green Way. The project will involve approximately 90 5th-graders working with KMAC Teaching Artist Suzy Hatcher on clay identity panels to be permanently installed at the designated visual arts magnet school. “We are excited that Target chose this project as something they wanted to support,” says KMAC Executive Director Kevin O’Brien. “While the students will create a work of art that will allow them to leave the school a legacy of their identities and perceptions, the residency will also allow the students to embrace their roles as artists and experience hands-on learning of Arts and Humanities Core Content.” This grant is part of ongoing efforts by Target to strengthen families and communities throughout the country. Since opening its doors, Target has given 5 percent of its income to organizations that support education, the arts, social services and volunteerism. Today that equals more than $3 million every week. “At Target, our local grants are making a difference in the communities we serve,” said Laysha Ward, president, community relations, Target. “We’re proud to partner with the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft as part of our ongoing commitment to give back to the communities where our guests and team members live and work.” Additionally, Target also gives through signature programs that are designed to inspire learning in children and families. Programs include: Take Charge of Education®, a school fundraising program; Target School Library Makeovers, a program that provides year-round volunteer opportunities for Target team members to get involved with their local school; Target Field Trip Grants, a program that helps educators bring learning to life outside the classroom through the distribution of grants; Target House®, which serves as a home away from home for families of children receiving lifesaving treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® in Memphis and the St. Jude School Program presented by Target, which is staffed with accredited teachers and helps patients stay on track academically while undergoing treatments that can last months; Target Volunteers, a nationwide network of Target team members, retirees, families and friends who volunteer millions of hours to community projects. Visit www.KentuckyArts.org and www.target.com. |
| Actress Nicola Peltz attends the Japan Premiere of 'The Last Airbender' at LaLaport Toyosu on July 6, 2010, in Tokyo, Japan. The film will open in Japan on July 17. (Photo by Kiyoshi Ota/ Image.net) |
