Two years ago, Florida State University professor Paul Rutkovsky stepped out from behind his art studio on Gaines Street and into the dilapidated alley.
A forest of trash, weeds, junk and clothes made it impassable. Upset that a public space could be so neglected, he decided to do something about it.
Art Alley is the product of his discontent, a series of two connecting alleyways that have been cleaned, preened and greened by his students.
Beyond an archway of gathered wood now lies a garden of both edibles (lettuce, fennel, mint, eaten by passers-by and those that work there) and florals. Art peeks through the shrubs. A bark-lined pathway meanders between the greenery and a graffiti-covered wall. A smaller side alley is lined with trees recently planted by the city.
“We are taking a blighted space and turning it into a retreat,” said student Cara Cruce, an Alley Sprout, the name students in Rutkovsky’s Get Green workshop class call themselves.Rutkovsky hopes the city, which has helped some already, will get more involved in the greening of not only this alley but future dilapidated spaces as well.
And in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day (which is today), the group is hosting EarthDay BirthDay, a showcase of student art and landscaping, from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday in the alley behind St. Michael’s Pub and The Engine Room.
The event will include a bake sale and various activities.
“The greening of the alley to me goes hand in hand with what Earth Day aims for,” said Alley Sprout Lauren Dalton.
“It’s opened our eyes about taking care of the Earth and what it means to be green,” Cruce said about the class.
Instead of purchasing all new materials, she now uses recycled ones and she’s even started a garden at her apartment complex.
She also enjoys showcasing her art somewhere other than indoors.
But taking care of an alley that was once the home to vagrants and is traversed by bar-going college students late at night isn’t always easy.
Over the winter break, the place was trashed when someone drove a vehicle into it.
“It’s kind of a give-and-take thing,” Cruce said about the destruction. “One week someone will take a pot and the next week a new plant will appear.”
The city of Tallahassee, which owns the alley, remedied the situation by adding a bollard (removable metal pole) at the entry way. Workers also recently planted trees and removed a buried oil tank.
“I think it can be a cool, funky element that adds to the overall character of the Gaines Street district,” said Roxanne Manning, program manager for the Community Redevelopment Agency, who has been involved in the Gaines Street revitalization project.
“This is going to be a major thoroughfare,” Rutkovsky said about his hopes for the alley to become a major connector between the new Gaines Street and the artistic community of Railroad Square. “It has so much amazing potential.”
While the alley is primarily being used for art student purposes, Rutkovsky also hopes it will one day be utilized by the community and other educational departments.The Department of Engineering has already taken it on as a project by creating a design that would aid drainage.
They hope to bring the plans to the city for approval and funding.
FSU’s Master Craftsman Studios, a working studio that teaches students the ins and outs of doing crafts work for others, also contributed by constructing a concrete entryway around the recently-added bollard.
“Everybody wants their city and community to look presentable, and this made such a difference,” said volunteer Charles Milsted, associate state director for AARP. “If the neighborhood looks well-kept people are going to enjoy it more.”
To volunteer or learn more visit getgreen.art.fsu.edu or contact Rutkovsky at prutkov@fsu.edu or 559-3819.
Contact reporter Amanda Nalley at (850) 599-2299 or abnalley@tallahassee.com.
With the addition of colorful flowers and art work, the former pass through alley near Michael’s Pub is being slowly transformed into a peaceful oasis.
