Nature Walk, Spring Blooms + Plein Air, May 4th 2024

Gardener Alex Kuchta and artist Sebastian Deregibus collaborated to lead a Spring Nature Walk and Plein Air art session focused on the early May blooms popping up around the park.

Alex’s previous experience as a gardener in McGolrick during the 2023 season informed the discussion about the gardens, including the use of native perennials. Foamflower, Geraniums, and Blue Columbine planted the previous season in the shade garden by Monitor Street were in bloom dotting the ground in shades of pale purple, blue, and eggshell white.

One of the many thoughtful questions posed during the event was “What surprised you about working in the space?”. The group happened to be a few feet away from a six-inch Baptisia seedling uncovered while weeding out Bittersweet vines the previous summer. The mother Baptisia was planted a few hundred feet away – its hard bean-like seed pod moved here by an animal or the hand of a human who took a liking to the plant. Alex reflected that throughout his time in McGolrick, he was always reminded that the park is a living organism in which the flora, fauna, and people in the park are in constant dialogue with each other.

With guidance from Sebastian and using the informative walk through the gardens as inspiration, the artists spread out within the park to work. Plein Air (from the French en plein air ‘in the open air’), is a manner of painting outdoors or landscape painting with a strong sense of the open air which was originally popular in the 19th century. Our artists used various mediums to capture their own perspective of spring in McGolrick that they then shared with the group.

Many thanks to Alex and Sebastian for guiding this session.

The walk was made possible thanks to the support of the City Parks Foundation and Partnerships for Parks through the NYC Green Fund. Due to the popularity of this walk, an additional Plein Air session is planned for June 15th. We hope you can join us!