I was deeply honored to showcase my Daylighting Tibbetts en Plein Air watercolor series at the annual Van Cortlandt Park Alliance Springtime Shindig Fundraiser. This event allowed me to present the entire series and offer it for sale, with a portion of the proceeds supporting the Alliance. The experience was truly a dream come true: my artwork was featured on the event invitations and printed as postcards, which were given as gifts to the attendees.
While it was bittersweet to part with more pieces from this series, it was a privilege to sell two additional paintings during the event. The remaining works will soon be available for purchase in my online shop, where a portion of the proceeds will continue to benefit the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance.
What makes this project even more exciting is the reason behind its inclusion in the event: the team responsible for the Daylighting Tibbetts project was honored at the fundraiser. This project, which has captivated me since we first considered moving to this area in 2018, is now moving forward.
For those unfamiliar, daylighting is the process of uncovering a previously buried stream and bringing it back to the surface. Tibbetts Brook, buried over 100 years ago and diverted into the Combined Sewer Overflow system, has caused millions of gallons of freshwater to be unnecessarily sent to sewage treatment plants, straining the system and contributing to river pollution. The daylighting of Tibbetts Brook will help mitigate these issues and transform an old railroad right-of-way into a new public park. It’s a visionary project, and I’m thrilled to share that, if all goes well, it will break ground in 2025.
At the event, I had the opportunity to display my work and engage with members of the community as well as those involved in the project. It was a full-circle moment that brought my artistic journey and this vital environmental initiative into focus. When I first painted this series, I never could have imagined such an outcome.
Looking ahead, I hope to bring some of these works to Councilman Dinowitz’s office, where they will be on public display in the coming months.
In addition, the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance will continue distributing the postcards featuring my prints. I’ll also be offering the entire series as a set of greeting cards, which will be available for purchase on my website once the shop is set up. The remaining original paintings will be listed for sale as well. Stay tuned, or feel free to reach out if you’re interested and I haven’t yet posted them online!
With deep gratitude to the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance for the opportunity to share this work in such a meaningful context, to the City Artist Corps for initially funding this project back in 2021—which allowed me to step outside my comfort zone and reconnect with watercolors—and to the Daylighting Tibbetts project team for their incredible design that I can’t wait to walk down.
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I sent both of these paintings below off to new homes! Always grateful.
For more information, you can explore the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance’s work at vancortlandt.org, and dive deeper into the designs of the Daylighting Tibbetts project on the City’s official project page. You can also check out my YouTube animation of the watercolors.