Jeremy Frey Awarded 2024 Rappaport Prize
Maine-based artist Jeremy Frey—one of the foremost Passamaquoddy craftspeople of his generation—has recently been awarded the 2024 Rappaport Prize by deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. Known for his vibrant and groundbreaking baskets, Frey is the first Indigenous artist to receive this prestigious prize in its 25-year history. He innovatively uses new materials in combination with unique forms that honor the enduring legacy of traditional basketry practices passed down through several generations of his family. “To me, the Rapaport Prize is a great acknowledgment of my work to date and an excellent opportunity to broaden the scope of my practice with the financial support it brings,” Frey said. “I am honored and proud to be counted amongst this generous prize’s outstanding recipients.” The Rappaport Prize was established in 2000 and endowed in perpetuity in 2010 by The Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport Foundation to celebrate the achievements of contemporary artists in New England. Frey will deliver his free Rappaport Artist Lecture on Wednesday, October 23 at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum’s Dewey Family Hall.
Project to Increase Resilience on Nantucket
The Trustees and Nantucket Conservation Foundation (NCF) have been part of a decades-long collaboration to manage Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge on Nantucket. In recent years, this has meant jointly investigating the way that climate change is affecting this barrier beach ecosystem and its future. NCF and The Trustees have begun the preliminary stages of a project that aims to use nature-based solutions to increase resilience on the refuge, while maintaining long-term public access.
A National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) grant awarded to The Trustees and NCF supports preliminary design work for this project at Coskata Pond and the Haulover, two potential future breach sites of critical importance on the refuge. The Trustees and NCF have hired a team of consultants from GZA GeoEnvironmental to examine the potential for resilience project options at these sites. This next step in the project will examine the feasibility of increasing resilience, help NCF and The Trustees select techniques for each site, and begin the preliminary project design.
On September 12, the two organizations alongside consultants from GZA hosted a public meeting. The meeting served as an opportunity to engage the public in these initial planning stages for future work on the refuge.
Both organizations strongly believe that the public is an important part of the process of protecting this spectacular landscape and would like to hear from you. Please join us by taking a brief survey on how you experience the Refuge.
credit: Julio Aguilar (@drone_van_gogh)
Francis William Bird Park Restored Ahead of Centennial
In advance of its 100th anniversary in 2025, the beloved Francis William Bird Park in Walpole recently underwent a facelift by The Trustees. The 89-acre community park received multiple improvements thanks to the generous financial support of residents, local companies, Walpole natives Mike and Susan White—who grew up near the park and were frequent visitors as children and parents—and descendants of the Bird family. “Walpole shaped us both growing up, we got married in Walpole, we raised kids in Walpole, and this just seemed like a wonderful way to give back to the community,” the Whites said. “We were excited to help refresh parts of the park and carry on the Bird family’s passion for preservation and open space.” The upgrades to the park include a newly accessible entrance off Polley Lane, improvements to the pedestrian pathways, the renewal of the basketball and pickleball courts, new playground equipment, new tree plantings, updated signage, and the creation of a shady picnic area. The revitalized park is now ready for its centennial celebration planned for next year by the Town of Walpole.
