Art Center Wins Beautification Award

The Wayne Art Center was named the First Place winner of the Radnor Township Manager's Beautification Award, which recognizes citizens, businesses and organizations that have improved their properties.

The Center is sited on nearly three acres of mostly wooded land, with two large parking areas and two prominent street entrances, Maplewood Avenue and Conestoga Road.

The art center describes its gardens in the following text:

Dorrance H. Hamilton Garden                                                                 

The nursery located behind the Wayne Art Center building rents space to several landscaping companies. The area is used for construction vehicles, not at all the tranquil setting we envision for our students to study art. There were no plants or shrubs or a backdrop to yield privacy. The area also required grading and additional pipes and drains to alleviate an ongoing drainage problem and divert the flow of water away from our facility.

We now have 15 varieties of woody plants and 18 varieties of perennials in the Hamilton Garden. We have built a semi-circular boulder wall with seating at the edge of the garden, using boulders given to us by the Township when they built the Radnor Walking Trail adjacent to the Art Center. It is truly an inspiring outdoor space that is visible from the clear storied window wall that was installed in the newly renovated Hamilton Studio.  It also is a wonderful space for students to sit and relax.

Betty Moran Garden                                                                                   

These gardens are located in front of the Wayne Art Center building, adjacent to the parking lot. The plants that were installed there were overgrown and a new design brings freshness and new color to the area.

Steven Laden Meditation Garden                                                              

The installation of this garden served as a kick-off to our Landscape Campaign and was a wonderful way to honor Steve and share his love with the entire community.  It was our dream that the grounds surrounding the Wayne Art Center would serve as inspiration and respite for our students and community. Creating a “Meditation Garden” behind the “link” that connected the Center’s old and new sections and was an ideal starting point for achieving our dream.  This special connecting space is now utilized everyday by all of our students and visitors.  We have achieved the creation of a restful, peaceful place – an oasis of calm in a garden setting that helps students connect with their own creativity and goals in the same way that our studios and exhibitions now already do.

Josephine M. and Calvin W. Schmidt Garden                                   

The Schmidt Garden is a beautiful backdrop for available for works of art displayed in the Davenport Family Gallery. This garden surrounds a rain garden that was installed during our last major renovation project. It has an edible theme: including blackberry, raspberry and blueberry bushes, strawberries in addition to herbs such as rosemary and thyme. These edible plants are being utilized in the culinary classes we offer during the summer and enjoyed by all of our culinary students. Lovely magnolia trees also grace the terrace which is used for gallery receptions and special events. A Rain Garden is located in the center of the Schmidt Garden and will feature rotating sculpture throughout the year.

Ralph J. DiMaio Landscaping of Wayne designed most of the gardens and donated maintain them over the summer months.