Project Story

PROJECT SUMMARY: The Mosaic at Pliny Park is a collaborative project spearheaded by New England artists Mary Lacy and Corrine Yonce in partnership with Epsilon Spires. Lacy & Yonce were charged with transforming a blank concrete wall at the corner of Main and High Street in Brattleboro into a vibrant piece of art, guided by insights, dreams, and stories shared by participating community members. This initiative invited the community to contribute personal objects—like tiles, beads, and small trinkets—to be embedded in the mosaic, turning it into a collective expression of memory and curiosity. The project aimed to instill a sense of co-ownership and foster community bonds through shared creativity. The Mosaic at Pliny Park was made possible through the generous donations of many, with matching funds from the Vermont Better Places Program, and significant support from the Ben and Jerry’s Foundation and the Trust Company of Vermont.The wall was generously provided by the Brattleboro Chamber of Commerce. There are countless individuals to credit for the funding of this project, and for the immense labor and physical donations that went into this mosaic.

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The Story of the Mosaic at Pliny Park

The Beginnings

Epsilon Spires, a nonprofit in Downtown Brattleboro occupying a former church with the mission to “build connections between art and science by offering provocative performances and events, interaction art installations, and opportunities to engage in civil discourse,” reached out to artists Mary Lacy and Corrine Yonce to apply their skillsets to the Brattleboro Chamber of Commerce’s wall abutting Pliny Park. The director saw an opportunity in the absence left by a mural locals remember, which had slowly degraded over time. After artists Lacy and Yonce gained attention for a recent mosaic project along Burlington's bike path, Mohr invited them to bring their talents to Brattleboro, sparking a new community art initiative. Together, the group sought to bring new energy to a central community asset to downtown Brattleboro.

“It’s considered a river town.”

“People are coming here to use their hands and hearts and creativity!”

Community members highlighted access to transportation -the Moover bus- and proximity to the bike shop. They emphasized the natural elements that make Brattleboro the neighborhood it is and drew flowers, leaves, and bugs. The idea of intersecting circles was brought up- as a concept of interconnections, cycling of time, return of history- and in conversation the group exclaimed for the architectural design of Pliny Park that reinforced the circles. One person drew ripples and another drew vases and holding receptacles. The circles were compared to that of the spinning wheel one uses for pottery.

A major theme that recurred in conversation and in the visioning notes is a fascination, love, and respect for the river- the Connecticut river that divides Vermont from New Hampshire, that fueled so much of the industry which founded Brattleboro, but was not visible from the Main street despite it brushes along the curve of Brattleboro downtown. “It’s considered a river town,” one person said. “I want this to feel wet,” another person wrote.

Participants celebrated the park for being a place of community connection. “Public spaces are havens from the hustle and bustle of town.” They wanted the mosaic to invite reflection and rest, while celebrating the funky nature of the community, holding space for protest, and being a place for joy. “People are coming here to use their hands and hearts and creativity!”

Visioning

The team - Mary, Corrine and Jamie - began hosting visioning sessions at Epsilon Spires in December of 2023, and held a second event in March. Participants first came to hear more about the artist's past works, and how their paths as artists led them to the collaborative way of making. While the first session invited questions about each artists’ process, visitors were already eager to hear what might be in store for the wall at Pliny Park.

When the group came back together in March, they wrapped tables in paper and dotted the surfaces with colorful markers. This time visitors arrived to find questions already placed at the tables. “What are public spaces for?” and “What stories do you have about Pliny Park?” participants were asked.

“Public spaces are havens from the hustle and bustle of town.”

Smashing

The Mosaic at Pliny Park team was digesting and metabolizing the visioning feedback as the next phase of the project commenced: the smashing. Two Smash events were held at Pliny Park. Lacy, Yonce, and Mohr set up tables with stacks of plates and alluring breakable objects. Around the tree, visitors were invited to leave objects they were donating to the mosaic, while others lined up to throw a place (or three) onto a tarp. A volunteer crew commenced in the sorting, carefully separating plate shards by color. At the park, the crew started being able to engage community members at a larger scale. The story of the mosaic took flight.

Assembling

By June the team secured the funds to start putting the mosaic together, but many logistical hurdles made for busy work until the two artists could arrive on site. The Brattleboro Chamber of Commerce wall required some serious TLC to be mosaic ready. Artists had to coordinate funding, their other work obligations, transportation, and order all the supplies and equipment they needed for the project. They needed to sort the object donations and coordinate final donations. They needed to coordinate with city agencies to secure park access, as well as access to water and electricity while working on site.

Each day, artists lugged carts of material to the wall at Pliny Park from Epsilon Spires, where the ocean of materials was stored (much to the surprise of MVP property manager, Doug!). Scaffolding was set up, some secured for the duration of the project, and some of which was rolled out each day in the daily routine of set up and break down. Mortar was churned in a five gallon bucket. Artists bathed in sun screen (the daily highs were in the 90s between sudden thunderstorms). The team spent on average 10 to 12 hours at the wall, and 2 to 4 hours preparing and cleaning up.

..... and that is as far as the story is written! Check out our Project Update page for the What's Nexts!

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