Taking Art to the Community

Laura Bergemann ’15 and Emma Frank ’16, working with fine arts teacher Christina Marge, recently oversaw the installation of a new “art box” in Medfield Center. The historical art project, executed in conjunction with the town of Medfield’s Cultural Council, is one of several installations throughout the town which feature a person, building or area that is of historical and cultural importance to Medfield.

The Montrose-designed art box features the Straw Hat Factory, which used to operate on the site now occupied by Montrose School. Mrs. Marge oversaw the work by Laura and Emma, who researched the history of the Straw Hat Factory and reviewed the photo archives at the Medfield Historical Society. The girls selected the ten best images of the factory, its owner and its employees, and wrote an article explaining the historical significance of each photo. These photos have been enlarged to cover the utility box across from Brothers Marketplace. Passersby can access the articles by Laura and Emma and learn more about the Straw Hat Factory by scanning the “QR” code located at the side of the box.

Medfield resident Jean Mineo, one of the primary organizers of the Mefield Cultural Council project, was grateful for the support from Montrose on the Straw Hat art box. “It’s wonderful to work with so many people who want to help out on a project, from historians to neighbors to local businesses,” she said.

Mrs. Marge added, “It has been a wonderful opportunity for our students to work with the Medfield Historical Society. We researched many fascinating stories about the settlers of this town, which inspired a number of ideas for this project and others in the future.  We look forward to further collaborative projects in the community.”