LUDLOW, Vt. – Local volunteers gathered this past weekend to sand and prime eight picnic tables, soon to be decorated by area artists and placed throughout Ludlow for residents and visitors to use while eating local take-out and enjoying the outdoors.
The eight-table project known as “The Gathering Spot” was the recipient of the Better Places Grant awarded by the state to help improve the vitality of downtowns and village centers and is a collaboration between the town of Ludlow, Ludlow Parks & Recreation, the Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce, Fletcher Farm School for the Arts & Crafts, and the Expeditionary School at Black River.
ESBR recruited several artists for the project and volunteers have been prepping the tables by sanding and priming Saturday, April 24, including Carol Lighthall, director of OVRCC; Susan Damone Balch, chair and membership director of Fletcher Farms; Holger Stoltze of the Governor’s Inn; and David Foster of Hawk Mountain Farm.
According to Balch, they are still looking for a couple more artists to design and paint a table. Interested artists can reach out to Susan Damone Balch at info@fletcherfarm.org. Artists will be paid a stipend for their efforts.
The chamber is organizing sponsorships for each table. A small plaque will be attached to each table with the sponsor’s and artist’s names. Proceeds from the sponsorship will be used for art education programs for area school children at Fletcher Farms. Interested sponsors should contact the chamber at info@yourplaceinvermont.com.
The participating artists will paint the tables in May with a plan to place the tables around Ludlow during a launch event Memorial Day weekend.