Parks Conservancy and Safe Harbors Partner to Bring Creative MakerBoards to Newburgh

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In this glorious first week of fall, the Greater Newburgh Parks Conservancy is partnering with Safe Harbors of the Hudson to bring creativity to the Green at Broadway and Liberty. Newburghers of all ages are welcome to try out newly designed MakerBoards - mobile windows that invite community members to co-create while mitigating exposure. From 1:00-5:00pm on Saturday, Sept. 26th, kids and adults can try out these inventive surfaces - doodling, drawing, playing tic-tac-toe -- interacting with folks on the other side of the protective plexi-glass window. “We are excited to bring COVID-safe, outdoor play to our fellow Newburghers, to see the art they create together, and to get their feedback on how we can help improve parks and greenspaces in their own neighborhoods,” said Kathy Lawrence, board chair of the Greater Newburgh Parks Conservancy. “It’s a delight to collaborate with Safe Harbors on this project,” she continued. “The Green is a perfect place to launch the MakerBoards, and we look forward to making them available again outdoors in good weather and indoors over the winter.”

“This partnership with the Conservancy is a great fit for us, especially this weekend when so many people will be out enjoying Newburgh Open Studios, and Safe Harbors’ first annual Black Renaissance Festival, which will be happening in and around our Ann Street Gallery,” added Lisa Silverstone, executive director at Safe Harbors. “It’s wonderful to see our commitment to local arts and culture translated into spontaneous artistic expression on the Green!”

MakerBoards, designed by @downupNY, was one of three winners of the Newburgh: Design For Play competition led by the Urban Design Initiative Design For Six Feet. They received over 70 proposals for how to transform Newburgh’s streets so that children, young and old, can safely play, learn, socialize and have fun together with installations in public space that respect the need for social distancing, and provide activities for children outdoors.

“As debates around the reopening of schools intensify across the country, the need to consider the physical and mental well-being of children becomes all the more important,” noted Design For Six Feet’s Liz McEnaney.

“We’ve built distance and sanitizers right into the design, while keeping the focus on fun,” said Kate Walters, one of a three-member design team from Vassar. “It will be great to see how people interact with the MakerBoards and with one another -- so we can tweak the design or make something entirely new,” said Nola Kim Mayer, another member of the design team.

NewburghParksConservancy.org

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The Greater Newburgh Parks Conservancy mission is to plan, protect, restore and enhance parks, community gardens, trails and watersheds in the Greater Newburgh Area. The Conservancy amplifies existing efforts and pursues new green space opportunities in the City of Newburgh and surrounding areas, with community organizations and the public, linking nature and neighborhoods to improve community health and well-being. The Conservancy aims to ensure equitable access to recreational green space within easy walking distance (a 10-minute stroll) of every household in the City.

Safe Harbors of the Hudson is a mixed-use, non-profit housing and arts redevelopment project. The project began in 2002 with the purchase of the Hotel Newburgh, a once proud destination, that had deteriorated over the years. Safe Harbors purchased the hotel in 2002 and in 2004 was awarded $21 million in state, county and federal funds to create a vibrant affordable, supportive housing complex. Safe Harbors’ mission: Transforming lives and building communities through housing and the arts.

Special thanks to:

The MakerBoards Design Team who designed and built out the first two DoodleBoard prototypes for our Sept.26th launch. downupNY: Kate Walters, Nola Kim Mayer and Aden Fischer-Brown; @downupNY

Design for Six Feet: email@designforsixfeet.org

Black Renaissance Festival - visual and performing art by local artists amplifying and celebrating Black voices of Newburgh. Join Safe Harbors on Saturday, September 26th from 12-6 p.m. for the opening event of our Black Renaissance Festival exhibit.