HAVERHILL — It was a three-stop ribbon-cutting ceremony, welcoming visitors to get a glimpse at Riverside Park’s new look.
On Saturday, folks celebrated the completion of the latest phase of the park revitalization project. A trio of public art pieces were unveiled at the gathering: the red kinetic sculpture “A Divvied Dadaism Emoted,” the Edible Avenue and the Riverside Eco-Labyrinth Garden.
Ann Jacobson, chair of the Team Haverhill Riverside Park Art in the Park and Edible Avenue Committee, said, “It has been a long road and we are thrilled to be able to gather and thank all who made it possible.”
The celebration started at the red sculpture, crafted by artist Waldo Evan Jespersen, who was present at the unveiling.
“A Divvied Dadaism Emoted” was installed last fall, sprouting a red, tree-like structure that waves with each blow of wind, and sat between two of the park’s baseball fields.
Jesperson’s work was acquired thanks to a state earmark through state Rep. Andy Vargas, D-Haverhill.
From there, the group moved to Edible Avenue, a series of raised-bed gardens showcasing herbs and “edimentals,” or plants that are both visually appealing and partly edible. Educational signs explain how the plants can provide food for birds, bees, other pollinators and humans strolling through the park. The installation was completed with support from the Haverhill Garden Club, Team Haverhill, and Haverhill’s Brightside.
Then, it was the reveal of the Riverside Eco-Labyrinth Garden, created by regional artist Maia Mattson in collaboration with Haverhill High School art students.
The garden features naturally dyed, large-scale tapestries displayed through double-sided plexiglass, with bench seating, and surrounded by native perennial flowers, grasses, and ornamental shrubbery along mulch pathways. The garden honors longtime Haverhill art teacher Sheila Jameson, with an arbor as its entrance, crafted by woodworker Adrian Scholes.
The three projects were sponsored by Team Haverhill, Creative Haverhill, SJ Arts Consulting, Haverhill Garden Club and Haverhill’s Brightside.