Hoosic River Revival Receives Two Grants for South Branch Restoration Project

Contact: Judith Grinnell, Hoosic River Revival; (413) 212-2996; HoosicRiverRevival@gmail.com

North Adams, MA — The Hoosic River Revival (HRR), a non-profit organization whose mission is to revitalize the Hoosic River in North Adams while ensuring the safety of residents from flooding, has received two grants to advance their goal of making the South Branch a place with year-round recreational, environmental, and economic opportunities.

Patagonia, the world-wide outdoor clothing company, has provided the River Revival $8,000 to supplement the cost of soil testing for contaminants at Noel Field, the Phase One restoration site. Patagonia's World Trout Council supports small, innovative, grassroots groups working with provocative direct-action agendas.  

"We are honored to receive this support from Patagonia, and especially pleased to learn that we are one of only 17 grant recipients in Massachusetts," said Judy Grinnell, founder of the Hoosic River Revival.  In 2016 Patagonia donated over $7 million dollars to 825 environmental organizations around the world.

The River Revival has also received a $2,500 matching grant from the Berkshire Environmental Endowment Fund for a community art installation. David Buckley Borden, who was an Assets for Artists Resident at MASS MoCA in 2016, has been chosen by HRR to create a project at the Phase One river restoration area. During his artist residency, Borden developed a body of visual artwork focused on promoting the value of the Hoosic River watershed.

 

Borden will build on this work in the collaborative creation of an eye-catching, thought-provoking art installation to increase residents' knowledge and appreciation for the Hoosic River in North Adams. Reached in Cambridge, MA, where he lives, Borden shared this thoughts about the upcoming work: "As an artist focused on using accessible art to promote a shared environmental awareness, I am thrilled at the prospect of working with the Hoosic River Revival and making a contribution to the North Adams community and its appreciation of the Hoosic River." Borden's works can be viewed at http://davidbuckleyborden.com/.

The mission of the Hoosic River Revival is to reconnect the community to a healthy, scenic, accessible, flood-controlled river, which will enhance North Adams' recreational, cultural, and economic vitality. The Board of Directors meets monthly at North Adams City Hall on the second Monday of each month at 9 am and welcomes attendance from the public. Comments, questions, or inquiries about the Hoosic River Revival can be sent to HoosicRiverRevival@gmail.com or by telephone 413.212.2996.   #

Caption for attached photo: A digital print in a series created by Borden during his Assets for Artists residency at MASS MoCA in 2016.