Wherever we are in our careers right now, most local artists have struggled at some point. Even if you’ve always been successful, you have friends in the local arts scene that struggle to make ends meet. And it’s no secret that those with limited financial resources often face difficulties getting fresh, healthy food to eat.
Local musician and businesswoman Cassandra Harris-Lockwood, owner of Phoenix Media and the non-profit organization For the Good, Inc. has been working to address this issue for her fellow artists and anyone else in need since 2008, when she began operating the Linwood Place Community Garden. The garden has produced thousands of pounds of fresh, organic fruit and vegetables so far.
In seasons past, local residents have been able to work with the garden manager to work on the community plot, or arrange to have individual plots in the garden. The fruits and vegetables produced are then enjoyed by those who participate free of charge. The garden has also made numerous generous donations to local food banks and soup kitchens.
During the seasons when gardens do not produce fruits and vegetables, the garden has served as the site for community education. The Linwood Place Community Garden serves as the host for countless workshops and presentations about nutrition, organic gardening, and other topics many local residents would not otherwise we able to afford to study.
The Linwood Place Community Garden further serves as a site for community connection and unity. Youth groups, college students, and other groups have spent countless hours gathered in the garden volunteering their time and talent, gaining and strengthening skills, and forming friendships.
And every artist knows a garden is a great place to sit back, relax, and work on that next draft of a novel, song, poem, or other project. Often, the simple change of scene provided by an afternoon spent helping out, attending a workshop,or just spending time in the garden can enhance our creativity and focus.
But without our help, all of this may be gone. In February 2020, the County of Oneida sold the garden at Linwood Place at auction. The land was purchased by a private individual. This was done without notice or right of refusal. On September 2, 2020, the deeds to the lots were transferred to the buyer.
While the land may still be there, this sale means that the dedication to community support and improvement that has always driven everything done at the garden over the years will be gone. The only way to preserve the garden as the local treasure that is has been for so long is to build a legal defense fund. This fund will be used to sue all parties connected to the transfer of the property.
Now is the time to show our support for the local garden that has supported so many community members over the years. As we return to paid gigs, consider donating the proceeds of a single show to save the garden. If you’ve returned to the studio or to your writing desk, consider setting aside a portion of the money you earn from the sale of your next album, novel, or other work to donate. Those focused on working their steady side jobs or day jobs right now might wish to make the community garden fund the recipient of their planned holiday donation. Any amount will be greatly appreciated, by both the staff and volunteers of For the Good, Inc and all those who hope to participate in all the garden traditionally offers in the coming years.
Because For the Good Inc.is a registered nonprofit, your donation should be tax deductable. And you never know…the idea for your next poem, song, novel, painting, or other work of art just might come to you during an afternoon spent weeding, planting, harvesting, or even attending a workshop at the Linwood Place Community Garden.
 
To support this worthy cause that benefits local artists and our friends, family, and neighbors, click on the link below to donate:
 
https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-the-linwood-place-community-garden?qid=8ae673c5c9e440c2c3328dae830be74d
 
 
 
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Utica artists, their children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and everyone else they know…artist or not… is invited to attend a special musical event tomorrow, August 18, 2021 at noon.
 
“Concert for Children” will be held in the courtyard of the state office building located at 207 E. Genesee street in Utica. The music will begin at noon, and is expected to last about an hour.
 
Concert for Children is sponsored by For the Good, Inc., “I Love Utica,” and Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon.
 
Most of the time, when a performance is designed for a certain age group, the focus is on adults. It may be held in an age-restricted club or bar, or the material may be frightening, or focused on adult themes. Even tamer, or “family friendly” events are often unintentionally geared toward adults, as they feature high ticket prices, or they’re held in an indoor space where smaller children might not be comfortable for more than a few minutes.
 
The “Concert for Children” reverses all of that, with an entire event designed for those aged two through twelve.
 
Utica band “The Hummingbirds,” made up of local musicians Cassandra Harris-Lockwood, John Kelsey, and John Handzel will perform music written and selected to delight and inspire young audiences. The event will be held outdoors, so that children and pre-teens  can enjoy some fresh air with their families and friends. There is no cost to attend, so children are free to invite as many friends, cousins, classmates, and siblings along as they wish, without worrying about asking parents or guardians for money for tickets. And because this age group is not yet eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine, the audience will be asked to keep space between members of different households. Everyone is also asked to wear a mask.
 
 Children, and the adults who accompany them, only need to bring the items they would normally bring along to an outdoor event on a summer afternoon, such as sunscreen, water, and a folding chair or camp chair if they do not wish to stand or sit on the ground during the concert.
 
For adults who care for children, tomorrow’s Concert for Children event may simply feel like a nice break. At a time when the price of everything is soaring, it is a free family outing. In an age when everybody seems to spend every minute with their face in a screen, and kids may be difficult to pull away from video games, they will see that they can have fun outside, away from their gaming consules, interacting with each other in person.
 
Younger children may simply enjoy the fun songs, and the older ones will probably love the excuse to get together with their peers after seeing them offline so little over the past year and a half.
 
 But the Concert for Children serves a purpose that runs even deeper than a fun afternoon. The event was planned to promote reading and bring joy to children through music, and both literature and music have the power to change lives, even entire communities. Utica’s artists are all aware of the impact music and literature have had on our lives, and we are far from unique in that respect.
 
According to the nonprofit organization “Greatschools,” an organization devoted to providing information to parents about education and lifelong learning, music impacts a child’s brain development.
 
In their article “7 ways music benefits your child’s brain,” by Rob Baedeker, learning to play music can help with language processing, memory, and math skills. It also promotes self-awareness and the ability to assess their own skills and behaviors, improves social skills, and is strongly tied to academic success overall,  even to long-term success in life.
 
The journal of the New England Board of Higher Education supports these claims. In an article titled “Tuning In: Six Benefits of Music Education for Kids,” author and parenting blogger Jenny Silverstone describes enhanced language capabilities and improvements in memory, problem solving ability, and study skills. She also describes music as a way to learn to work with others and solve problems.
 
The early literacy focused nonprofit organization, “Make Way for Books,” states that children who are talked to, read to, and sung to from an early age develop bigger vocabularies and are more likely to succeed in school.
 
Don’t miss this opportunity to launch, or further encourage, an interest in reading and music in the children in your family.