Madison residents' stained glass to benefit Drew Forest conservation
MADISON – The Drew Forest has two new benefactors: artists Margaret Malishchak and Molly Polevoy, who are collaborating on limited edition stained glass panels to help fund the Drew Forest’s conservation.
They are bringing their artwork to the Borough Council meeting Monday, March 24 at 50 Kings Road to show Mayor Robert Conley and elected officials.
The borough is appealing a state Superior Court court ruling saying that almost two-thirds of the Drew Forest is developable. Meanwhile, the borough and Drew University are working to finalize a conservation sale.
The borough has agreed to a nonbinding term sheet with Drew to buy and preserve the forest, which was announced Friday, Nov. 8. The agreement is for $65.1 million which involves Madison purchasing the Drew Forest for preservation in perpetuity, and includes revenue from development on additional university land for multi-family, inclusionary residential housing units.
“The Drew Forest is important to Molly and me,” said Malishchak, who lives in Madison’s Fairwood neighborhood close to the university.
“The forest is one of the few remaining places where children can see turtles sunning on logs, where Blue Herons fly and native bluebells pop up in spring.”
Malishchak started Glass4Good five years ago so that she could “use art to create more good in the world.” She donates all proceeds from sales—some $16,000 so far—to various state and local environmental and social justice groups.
She says she’s “thrilled “to collaborate with Polevoy, who studied fine arts at both the undergraduate and graduate level.
The production of each piece begins as a volley of shared ideas that, through glass and paint, breathe whimsy and magic into the seriousness of protecting the Drew Forest, a resource right in their backyard.
The final works are detailed with houses, native plants and images that connect trees to the community around them. “We’re able to create a world together within each glass panel,” said Polevoy.
The artists will donate all proceeds from the Drew Forest series to Friends of the Drew Forest.
Their neighbor Claire Whitcomb, who is a member of the Friends steering committee, said, “I was so cheered when Molly and Margaret told me about their plan. Friends of the Drew Forest has been going to every council meeting for the last four years. Just when we fear our energy is flagging, new members of the community come forward.”
“It’s important to express how meaningful these 51 biodiverse acres are to our town and our region,” says Polevoy. “I am hopeful that we can continue to benefit from the presence of the Drew Forest and what it does for our community, including its role in mitigating flooding and its role as an irreplaceable groundwater recharge area for the buried valley aquifer.”
A close-up look at the Drew Forest panels can be found by coming to the Borough Council meeting at 8 p.m. Monday, March 24 or by visiting glass-4-good.constantcontactsites.com.