Lewes in Bloom creates Delaware art for Italian garden
Volunteers are vital to Lewes. From governance to gardens, from those who fight fires to those who raise money for community causes, Lewes relies on the volunteer spirit of engaged and active citizens who enhance its excellence as a community. This volunteer action was recently exemplified by a group of mosaic artists who came together to create nine stepping stones depicting Delaware or Lewes symbols, and four upright glass fish mosaics for Lewes in Bloom to showcase in its garden in Cervia, Italy. Volunteers also built a replica of the Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse with a solar-powered beam to stand in the garden.
Artists and their works are: Bicycle with flowers: Catherine Norberg, Lewes; Blue Hen: Lorraine Quinn, Ocean View; Horseshoe Crab: Linda Rancourt, Milton; Ladybugs: M. Sue Sandmeyer, Milton; Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly: Laura McGrew, Lewes; Tulips: Terry Lake, Lewes; Zwaanendael Swan: Lorelei Meanor, Lewes; Flounder: Jane Ellan Golde, Lewes; Weakfish: Jane Ellan Golde, Lewes. Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse: Marilyn and Bud Vai, Lewes, with design and construction by Joe Rooney and Rich Robertson with assistance from Bud Vai.
In 2018, Lewes in Bloom was awarded the top prize in the Communities in Bloom International Challenge - Medium Category. Countries from all over the world participate in this invitation-only festival, and Lewes was the first U.S. city to be invited.
As a result of this award, Lewes in Bloom volunteers are invited as “garden architects” to design and plant a garden in Cervia, Italy, as part of the Cervia Città Giardino Open Air Floral Art Festival in May 2019. Members of Lewes in Bloom will travel to Cervia May 20 to 22 to plant LIB’s 40-by-40-meter space. Each volunteer is funding their own transportation, and all but two will pay their own room and board expenses during the four-day planting celebration and festival. Cervia is a coastal town south of Venice on the Adriatic Sea and a popular vacation spot for Europeans.
Information on Lewes in Bloom membership and support can be found at www.lewesinbloom.org or on Facebook. Lewes in Bloom is a component fund of the Greater Lewes Foundation.
