2023 Rappaport Prize Given to Artist and Educator, Tomashi Jackson
deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum and The Trustees are thrilled to announce Tomashi Jackson as the recipient of the 2023 Rappaport Prize. Established in 2000, the Rappaport Prize is an annual art award presented to a contemporary artist with strong connections to New England by deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum through the support of the Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport Foundation. Tomashi Jackson’s research-driven multimedia practice combines painting, printmaking, fiber arts, sculpture, video, and performance to explore the influence of social histories and aesthetic imagery. She has deep ties to the New England area, including earning her MS in Art, Culture, and Technology from the MIT School of Architecture and Planning in 2012 and her MFA in Painting and Printmaking from the Yale University School of Art in 2016. A committed educator, Jackson has taught at Harvard University, Massachusetts College of Art, and Rhode Island School of Design, among others. A lecture is planned for May 2024.
Save Millborn Farm
Situated on 180+ acres in the towns of Sherborn and Millis in the heart of the Charles River Valley, Millborn Farm is unlike any other property in the area. An intimate tree-lined entrance leads to an expansive open landscape of stonewall-lined hay fields, forestland, farm lanes, and more than a mile of waterfront along the Charles River, Bogastow Brook, and South End Pond. Trails meander through fields and forest and around floodplain habitat along the water’s edge. Few places boast this combination of stunning landscape features and resources.
The Trustees has been presented with an unprecedented opportunity to acquire Millborn Farm—to protect the land from the potential for development, to provide precious space for people to engage with nature, and to preserve its legacy and significant environmental value. “In a time of increased flooding due to climate change, protection of the river floodplain is critically important,” says Cynthia Dittbrenner, The Trustees’ Interim Vice President of Conservation and Resiliency. “Protecting Millborn Farm, with its more than one mile of waterway frontage, provides essential storage for flood waters as well as protects critical wildlife habitat.”
The farm’s land also includes 75 acres of productive hay fields and grasslands that support native pollinators, plants, and wildlife. 139 species of birds have been documented at Millborn Farm and it is believed there is the potential for as many as 50 more that frequent the property.
Notably, the addition of Millborn Farm to the Trustees’ portfolio will connect it via navigable water to snine other Trustees reservations: Cedariver in Millis and Shattuck Reservation in Medfield to the south, Bridge Island Meadows to the east across South End Pond, and Rocky Narrows (Sherborn), Medfield Meadow Lots (Medfield), Peters Reservation (Dover), and Charles River Peninsula (Needham) to the north all abut the Charles River. Further, hiking trails from Shattuck Reservation connect to Noon Hill Reservation (Medfield) and those from Peters Reservation connect to Chase Woodlands (Dover). These reservations are part of the organization’s long history and significant presence in the Charles River Valley—where The Trustees protects more than 2,600 acres across 17 diverse and dynamic properties, including its first reservation, Rocky Narrows, acquired in 1897.
“A strong demand exists for passive outdoor recreation opportunities in this area,” adds D.A. Hayden, Portfolio Director for the Trustees’ Charles River Valley properties. “Some of The Trustees’ most visited properties are in the Charles River Valley and we have a deep connection to the community. Millborn Farm has the potential to offer visitors a unique refuge to experience multiple aspects of nature’s splendor. We look forward to stewarding this gorgeous property for generations to come.”
