A Creative Crop

Artists Fortify Youth Movement In Agriculture

Scott Berzofsky, Dane Nester and Nicholas Wisniewski created Participation Park in the 1100 block of Forrest St., on vacant lots where 14 rowhouses once stood. They do not have permission to use the land. It belongs to the city and private owners, who haven't either noticed or cared about the corn, tomatoes and other veggies that have sprouted there for three seasons now.

The idea is for neighbors to help themselves to the produce and pitch in. This year, the artists fenced off an area and created a separate garden, whose produce they're selling at the Waverly Farmers' Market and to some local restaurants, including Woodberry Kitchen and Red Emma's coffeehouse. They hope residents will take over that venture as a co-op.

Not much painting

The group wanted to create a public space, Berzofsky said, and thought a vegetable garden "made sense in a place where there's lots of vacant land, not a lot of nutritious food available, not a lot of supermarkets, also a shortage of jobs."

Is it art or agriculture?

Art, Berzofsky says. "It's not so much about, in the traditional sense of art, that you're producing an image or an object but producing an experience and producing a space that can foster different kinds of social relationships."

The three artists were feted at the Baltimore Museum of Art when the Sondheim award was presented. The next day, they were back pulling weeds and harvesting heirloom tomatoes.

"None of us are painting," Berzofsky said.