Volunteer Spotlight

Claudia Zorn Schaefer is a very special Friend to the Gardens. To mark her one-year “cancerversary” she created a special ode to the Gardens with original music and lyrics, entitled "Reynolda Gardens: Our Special Place” as a way to help support the Gardens and bring attention to the place that has helped so many find peace and respite. The piece was created in collaboration with the Creative Center of North Carolina, Inc., (CCNC) and its founder, J.D. Wilson, who is also a longtime friend of Reynolda. Claudia’s project began in late May, two months into COVID-19 restrictions and nearly a year into her own quarantine. “I've been so grateful that, even throughout my chemotherapy treatments, I've been able to enjoy long walks at Reynolda Gardens, 130-acres of historic landscape, including formal gardens, trails, and green space that’s free and open to the public from dawn until dusk.” Claudia said she started mulling over how to help the Gardens make up for lost pandemic revenue during her daily walk with her boxer, Kruger, when she spoke with Jon Roethling (also a boxer parent!) about the closure of the Garden Boutique. As Kruger and I continued to walk that day, we saw lots of people of all ages enjoying the Gardens: people walking their dogs, friends picnicking, adults and children riding their bicycles, people enjoying the trails. With COVID-19 restrictions, we're all looking for a safe outlet. A special haven. A refuge,” she said. “Our walk that day inspired me to do something to bring more attention to Reynolda Gardens.” Claudia decided to create a slideshow of Gardens visuals set to a piece of music she had written, and, when encouraged by her friend J.D., decided to take it a step further and compose a new piece of music for the project. J.D. provided many of the images used in the video and recruited Broadway star Joshua Morgan (UNCSA Drama’09) to perform and record the new song from his home in NYC. Everyone at Reynolda is extremely grateful to Claudia, J.D., and all who helped to make this original labor of love so near and dear to Claudia’s heart come to life.

View “Reynolda Gardens: Our Special Place” on YouTube at https://bit.ly/LoveReynoldaGardens. To access the sheet music, visit bit.ly/RGSheetMusic2

Save the date

With the support of Flow Lexus, The Garden Club Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County presents Uncovering Beauty – A Tour of Secret Gardens on Saturday, April 24, 2021.

Tour patrons will have a rare opportunity to explore up to thirteen secret gardens within the city limits of Winston-Salem. From the traditional English garden surrounded by a large home to mid-century modern to a true gardener’s garden hidden behind a brick wall, gardeners of all levels will delight in the diverse creativity and beauty of each space. The event is open to the public and net proceeds benefit the Garden Club Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, which grants funds for the protection, preservation, and beautification of our environment.

For more information, visit www.gardenclubcouncil.org.

100 REYNOLDA VILLAGE WINSTON-SALEM NC 27106

PLEASE RECYCLE

Detail. Martin Johnson Heade (1819–1904), Tropical Orchids, 1870–1874, Oil on canvas. Olana State Historic Site, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; OL.1981.39.A FEB 20 — MAY 23, 2021

Cross Pollination: Heade, Cole, Church and Our Contemporary Moment

The exhibition is a collaboration between Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Thomas Cole National Historical Site, and The Olana Partnership at Olana State Historic Site. Cross-Pollination takes as its launching pad the influential series of paintings The Gems of Brazil (1863–64) by Martin Johnson Heade but expands outward to explore pollination in nature and ecology, cultural and artistic influence and exchange, and the interconnection between art and science.