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25 Groups Serving Watertown Receive Grants from Community Foundation

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

The Watertown Community Foundation awarded $135,000 in institutional and program grants at their spring grants celebration last night to support 25 organizations serving the Watertown community. “We received so many great proposals, nearly $200,000 in funding requests this year from over 25 Watertown community-based organizations, including the City of Watertown. It’s exciting to see how our non-profits are responding to the diverse needs of the Watertown community with programs and services that are innovative and positively impact and enrich the lives of our neighbors and residents,” said Mary Ann Mulligan, WCF Co-President and Grants Committee Chair. Spring grant awards fall into two separate categories: institutional and program support. Eleven non-profits central to Watertown received $69,000 in institutional grants to support their organization’s mission, staffing and operating costs.

Around Town

Call for Artists & Writers to Participate in Watertown’s Edible Plants 2023 Project

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The artwork from Edible Plants 2022, Clockwise from top left: Daylily by Patti Murphy, Bee Balm by Niloufar Keyhani, Elderberry by Marija Draskic Brancazio, Wintergreen by Kate Martens, Mayapple by Carol Leonesio, Mountain Mint by Cat Bennett, Huckleberry by Donna Calleja, Red Bud by Debajyoti Biswas, Bearberry by Connie Henry, and Garlic Chives by Jaclyn Kain. The following information was provided by the City of Watertown:

Edible Plants 2023 is the second iteration of the “Edible Plants” project. In the pilot cycle, 10 visual artists were selected to each create a 2-dimensional artwork based on an edible plant found in Watertown. The finished artworks were then on display at four locations around Watertown before being auctioned off. The artists had their work reproduced in a coloring book that was made freely available throughout Watertown, led workshops, and participated in a moderated panel discussion.

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Armenian Museum Will Preserve Rare Manuscripts With BofA Grant

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Rare manuscripts at teh Armenian Museum of America in Watertown will be preserved with funds provided by a Bank of America grant. Pictured here: Kerry Miles, Art and Heritage Project Manager at Bank of America; Maryann Ekberg, Managing Director, Baernk of America Private Bank; Jason Sohigian, Executive Director, The Armenian Museum of America; and Michele M. Kolligian, President, The Armenian Museum of America. (Photo courtesy of Bank of America). The following announcement was provided by Bank of America:

As part of its Art Conservation Project, Bank of America provided a grant to the Armenian Museum of America of Watertown, Mass., to restore 21 illuminated manuscripts from its collection, one of which dates back to the 13th century, the museum announced this week. Bank of America selected the Armenian Museum of America as one of the 23 cultural institutions that have been named recipients of the 2023 Bank of America Art Conservation Project, a program that provides grants to nonprofit cultural institutions to conserve important works of art. 

This year’s recipients represent a diverse range of artistic styles, media, and cultural traditions across China, Colombia, France, Lebanon, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, the U.K. and the U.S.

The Armenian Museum of America has the largest collection of Armenian artifacts in the United States.

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Our History: Charles Davenport, Owned Company that Built Railroad Cars

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Charles Davenport’s Fountain Hill Estate (Photo courtesy of the Watertown Free Public Library)

The following article is part of a series on local history provided by the Historical Society of Watertown. It was written by Historical Society President Marilynne Roach for the April 2012 Historical Society newsletter, “The Town Crier.”

In 2005 the Friends of Mount Auburn and the Historical Society of Watertown cosponsored a guided walking tour of Mount Auburn Cemetery in celebration of 375th anniversary of Watertown’s founding. During the walk members of the Historical Society Council and volunteers spoke about the lives of some of Watertown’s notable figures now buried at the Cemetery. The following article was written by Marilynne Roach and read at Davenport’s gravesite. Charles Davenport (1813–1903) began as a woodworker in the carriage building trade.

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Challenger Baseball Program Has Allowed All Watertown Children to Play Ball for 10 Years

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The players and buddies in the Watertown Challenger Baseball program, which is for players with physical and mental challenges. (Photo courtesy of Watertown Challenger Baseball). Ten years ago, Watertown Youth Baseball added a program that allowed children with a physical or intellectual challenge to get on the field and play ball. And each year, participants in the Challenger Baseball program get to play in an special event sponsored by NESN where they play similar programs from other communities around Massachusetts. The program got rolling in 2013, but had to take a few years off during the Pandemic, said Greg Salvucci, a past president of Watertown Youth Baseball and Softball.

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Victory Field Closing for Most of Summer to Replace Artificial Turf

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown hosts Belmont in the annual Thanksgiving Football Game at 10:45 a.m. Thursday. The football and baseball fields at Watertown’s largest athletic complex will be closed this summer. The artificial turf surface that was installed in 2011 will be replaced. Most of the rest of the complex will remain open. Recreation Department Director Peter Centola sent out the following letter about Victory Field:

Good Morning,

Our Victory Complex Artificial Turf Field will be closed Monday June 12 to Wednesday, August 16, 2023, for the purpose of replacing our artificial turf field.