On The Land
By Anie Kotha and Geraldine Ondrizek
Last semester, Art Professor Geraldine Ondrizek's class, ON THE LAND (Art 365), delved into the intricate intersection of architecture, landscape, and sculpture. This studio art course explored cross-disciplinary practices and emphasized the overlaps between the disciplines in reference, materials, and building techniques. Notably, the class allowed students to apply what they were learning in the classroom to the Reed Community Garden. Jesse Neuman-Hammond, a student in the class, expressed, “There are few places at Reed where people craving hands-on work can gather and do tangible things together, and I can see [the garden] becoming a place where people will go just to hang out.” This class brought out a new side of many students and allowed them to immerse themselves in hands-on projects and bring their creations to life.
To prepare for projects, the class embarked on adventures to local farms, delved into readings about the flora and fauna on campus, and researched the numerous indigenous plants on campus. The leading work site was the Reed College Garden and the land around Garden House. Students in the class engaged with the garden by meeting with the Sustainability Coordinator, Rachel Willis, and interns Carmen Simons and Gwen Olson. The intention for these projects emerged through conversation with the stakeholders and students focused their attention on making the garden a welcoming space for information-sharing and learning. The main challenge was overcoming the garden’s location on the edge of campus. How do you make an area on the edge feel more central to the student experience?
Following these discussions, students of the class came up with some fantastic designs for new additions to the garden. These included signage, an entry gateway, an information board announcing events, a wheelchair-accessible raised bed, and a conversation table. Over the course of one month, students researched, designed, and created mini-models of what would go into the garden. These drafts were then presented to the main stakeholders: Sustainability Coordinator Rachel Willis, Maintenance and Operations Manager Zac Perry, as well as Jeff Wright (retired Reed staff and garden advocate). After getting the thumbs up from the stakeholders, the students began the arduous process of building their installments, a process that spanned approximately two months.
Sakura Azzopardi and Jesse Neuman-Hammond shared insights into their project. A lot of their process involved researching and designing an arbor that would be able to stand in the garden but still allow for a good flow of community. Together, they fulfilled their goal: to create an official, attractive, and accessible entrance to the garden. The project also aims to attract native bird and pollinator species by introducing native honeysuckle, Lonicera ciliosa. Thus, the arbor project will facilitate symbiosis between the Reed community and native flora and fauna while inviting accessible community gatherings in the garden space. As such, they both opted to use raw cedar, which is known to be durable and robust but would still not cause a drastic impact on the existing ecosystem. This initiative will catalyze future engagement and investment in the Reed College garden.
Like the arbor duo, Harper Lethin had a similar hope for the garden's future. Harper has been a long-standing member of Scriptorium and was looking forward to spreading the art of calligraphy around campus. Much of their project surrounded new signage for the beds and a message whiteboard. Collaborating with Trevor Kock and Jay Ewing, Harper leaned on their expertise to scan handwritten calligraphy and create laser-cut signage. With assistance from the arbor duo, the whiteboard underwent a transformation into a double-sided kiosk, featuring signage on one side and a functional whiteboard on the other. Harper is thrilled about the project's outcome and envisions their calligraphy leaving a lasting mark on the garden.
Lee Goldenberg and Caroline Spiggle collaborated to craft a wheelchair-accessible raised bed, enriching the garden's inclusivity. Caroline emphasized the therapeutic benefits of gardening, particularly for individuals with disabilities and sensory sensitivities. Their joint effort focused on designing an ADA-compliant bed resilient to Portland's weather conditions. Through their partnership, they conceived a bed that seamlessly integrates with the paved path to the Garden House, ensuring accessibility for all. Reflecting on their journey, Lee and Caroline championed the project as an opportunity for creative exploration and meaningful innovation. They eagerly shared their experience by promoting the class to fellow students, as an opportunity to “evaluate the meaning of a space, dream up ways to innovate it and follow through on those ideas. We’re honored that we had the opportunity to bring this idea to life.”
In contrast to other students, Remi Castellanos introduced a unique perspective to the garden's design. Their vision aimed to transform the garden into a hub for both formal gatherings and casual interactions, further enriching the co-curricular connections within the campus. By integrating a 10-foot table and benches, Remi envisioned a space where classes could convene for engaging discussions outside of the four walls of a classroom. Remi hoped the new addition to the garden would “contribute to the goal of coming together and valuing our community and earth.” As the sun emerges, they anticipate more classes utilizing the garden for a relaxed discussion setting.
The class also created a landscape design with native plantings throughout to create soft boundaries between the garden and the roadway. Although not all projects were completed by December, the garden now boasts fantastic new installations, with the potential for future classes to build on the vision.
