Cobblestone Arts Center invites the community to participate in an upcoming project, a Memorial Wellness Garden, expected May of this year. The tranquil garden space will include a variety of trees, flowers, and shrubs, as well as a walking path lined with sculptures and benches to sit. The smaller sub-gardens will have areas to attract butterflies, a sensory garden, and an aromatherapy garden. Cobblestone Director Lorene Benson envisions a space where community members can come to enjoy a peaceful atmosphere and soak in the delights of nature.

The garden space is currently home to “The Denizen”- a 16 foot tall dandelion by local sculptor Benji Carr. He defines a “denizen” and his piece as “resilient, stalwart, and ubiquitous”. Carr describes the essence of dandelion as “Present whether we like them or not. Many will classify them as a weed, while the more sensitive recognize it’s our place in organic fabric. Flora, fauna, and human life deserve an existence. All life is important.” Respectively, “The Denizen” has become a beautiful symbol of strength, grace, and unity, and in essence, a symbol of Cobblestone’s mission. It will serve

as the centerpiece to the Memorial Wellness Garden.

Items in the garden can be purchased to memorialize loved ones, such as: trees, flowers, shrubs, benches, and bricks along the walkway. These items can be personalized with a name and brief message. To purchase an item in the Memorial Wellness Garden, visit www.cobblestoneartscenter.com or call 585-398-0220.

Cobblestone Arts Center is a community art center offering an arts-based dayhab program for adults with disabilities; community classes in theatre, music, and dance; and a theatre space for live performances. Founded in 1983, Cobblestone has always been inclusive of all ages and abilities. This non-profit organization receives support from the Glover-Crask Foundation, Golisano Foundation, United Way, Canandaigua National Bank, Morrell Builders, and RS Signature Kitchens.