“The Moment”
Written by Heather Gallant, 577 Executive Director
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about an original painting hanging in the Curiosity Shop. It’s called “The Moment” and was painted by native Perrysburgian Michael Ives, who was 577’s Artist in Residence in the fall of 2011.
In it, our founder Virginia Secor Stranahan glows from the middle of the Courtyard, a largely empty space surrounded by the green-roofed building, some gardeners carrying bushels of veggies, several horses and a couple of dairy cows tended by their caretakers, a victory garden, an American flag, a dog, a fox, and four chickens. It’s a vibrant depiction featuring Mr. Ives’ signature playful, primitive, folksy, humorous style.
I adore this painting and its illustration of so many things: community members coming together to create something beautiful. One person’s idea to share their good fortune with everyone else. The beauty of a space like 577 that connects people to nature, themselves, the arts, and each other.
What fun we’ve had the past few years reimagining and evolving this very space to make it even more welcoming, more beautiful, and more functional for you, and WITH you! Over 100 contributors have enlivened this space with their gifts. To name a few:
- The Entelco Foundation provided initial startup funding for design work and construction. Without this early gift (largely spearheaded by several of Virginia’s grandchildren), this project would never have gotten off the ground!
- The Stranahan Supporting Organization of the Greater Toledo Community Foundation provided the basis and foundation for the new beautified space.
- The Country Garden Club of Perrysburg provided the six trees in the center island of the Courtyard to represent Mrs. Stranahan’s six children that grew up on this homestead and the landscape plants and flowers that make it shine.
- The Perrysburg Rotary Community Foundation provided the arches that welcome community members into the Courtyard’s open arms. Our Landscape Horticulturist, Bennett Dowling, designed the arches that were built by local steel artists at QSI Fabrication. Each arch is different, representing the past, present, and future, the three beacons that we consider when making any decision here.
- The Toledo Rotary Foundation’s Environmental Committee provided a new rain garden in the Courtyard to recapture and filter runoff before it makes its way to the Maumee River. This is 577’s fourth beautiful rain garden on our 14 acres of land, and we’re thrilled to continue to demonstrate the possibilities of rain gardens to inspire others!
- The City of Perrysburg Sewer Separation grant provided sewer lines that direct excess runoff to pipes that won’t overburden the city water treatment plant.
- Trust Company Family Offices and our neighbors, Glenn and Jenny Theriault, provided matching gifts for the 2024 Day of Giving, inspiring over $15,000 in gifts from others!
- 577’s neighbor Jeanne Lesniewicz held a birthday donation drive, inviting friends and family to give to the Courtyard project in honor of her 75th birthday.
- An anonymous benefactor provided benches for people to rest, read, people watch, or gab with a friend. Although we don’t even know who this mystery benefactor is, we express our gratitude to them and their kindness.
- 84 individuals made open-hearted donations, and 34 volunteers, staff members, and caring designers and contractors put in the sweat and elbow grease to design, build, and plant everything that you see in it now.
So many hands and hearts coming together to make this space a wonderful place to linger, learn, and enjoy!
While the Courtyard might not visually look the same as when Mr. Ives painted it, the emotions that the space evokes might be truer today than ever. When asked about this painting, Mr. Ives said: “This painting tells a story and honors Virginia’s trust in herself and her fellow man.”
We couldn’t have built this Courtyard without you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
