Rochester Cascade Lake Park Project
Artist In Residence
Cassandra Buck will be working with Rochester's Cascade Lake Park as well as Olmsted County's Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo and Rochester's Quarry Hill Nature Center. In April 2025, she held 5 work workshops for the community at Cascade Lake park (in addition to 12 other sessions at the other parks). Cassandra worked with local art shops, Griot Arts and Rochester Art Center to provide free art kits for local residents for those residents who wanted to participate, but could not attend one of the workshops.
Cassandra Buck will be working with Rochester's Cascade Lake Park as well as Olmsted County's Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo and Rochester's Quarry Hill Nature Center. In April 2025, she held 5 work workshops for the community at Cascade Lake park (in addition to 12 other sessions at the other parks). Cassandra worked with local art shops, Griot Arts and Rochester Art Center to provide free art kits for local residents for those residents who wanted to participate, but could not attend one of the workshops.
The goal of the workshops was to bring together people of all ages to create their own art. Cassandra guided community members to create their own artwork using paints, colored pencils, yarn, paper, canvas, photos and printmaking materials. All community members were encouraged to participate, whether they felt like they are artists, or even creative, or not. Their works reflect on their favorite features and activities at the park.
To help those people who could not attend a class, Cassandra provided art kits that included a QR code for a video instruction. The video included information regarding how people could submit their artwork to Cassandra. Cassandra asked for input from the people regarding how they connected to the parks and nature in addition to asking for their artwork. The information and artwork received, plus the artwork created and the conversations at the workshops helped Cassandra decide what kind of permanent art to create for Cascade Lake park.
KIMT News in Rochester ran a story on the first workshop at the Lakeside Building.
Workshops
A total of 17 art workshops were held. Five workshops were held at Cascade Lake park in April. The pictures created at the workshops served as inspiration for a mural which was added to a wall at the Lakeside Building.
A total of 17 art workshops were held. Five workshops were held at Cascade Lake park in April. The pictures created at the workshops served as inspiration for a mural which was added to a wall at the Lakeside Building.
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Mural
The main art piece at Cascade Lake park was a mural on what was otherwise a blank building wall. When Cassandra talked to people, they told her about all of the things they like to do at the park, such as playing, swimming, and walking. The park has a large playground for kids. They park is also windy and has a lot of prairie grasses. All of the thoughts and images conveyed to Cassandra were moving people, moving water, moving prairie, and moving animals. She incorporated all of those ideas into the mural.
The mural is titled: Movement
The main art piece at Cascade Lake park was a mural on what was otherwise a blank building wall. When Cassandra talked to people, they told her about all of the things they like to do at the park, such as playing, swimming, and walking. The park has a large playground for kids. They park is also windy and has a lot of prairie grasses. All of the thoughts and images conveyed to Cassandra were moving people, moving water, moving prairie, and moving animals. She incorporated all of those ideas into the mural.
The mural is titled: Movement
Community Art
A second art project was created at Cascade Lake Park with community involvement. On the ramps to the band-shell, rainbow swirls now add color to the area. Outlines of the color swirls were painted onto the cement sides of the ramps and stairs. Community members painted in the areas. This not only adds the feeling of belonging to the people that did the painting, but brought several members of the community together for the project. These people will always have a connection to the park.
A second art project was created at Cascade Lake Park with community involvement. On the ramps to the band-shell, rainbow swirls now add color to the area. Outlines of the color swirls were painted onto the cement sides of the ramps and stairs. Community members painted in the areas. This not only adds the feeling of belonging to the people that did the painting, but brought several members of the community together for the project. These people will always have a connection to the park.
The color swirls on the band-shell are part of a community painting art project.
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Cassandra Buck graduated with a bachelor’s degree in art education from Winona State University in 2008. She taught middle school art for seven years and is currently working as a full-time artist. She is a leader within the local art community and is an advocate for women in the arts. Cassandra is the Arts Programmer/Gallery Curator at Forager Brewery in Rochester, Minnesota.
Cassandra has exhibited as a solo artist as well as various group exhibitions including Winona State University, The University of Minnesota, and at the Austin Art Works Center in Austin, Minnesota. In 2016 she was awarded Rochester Mayor’s Medal of Honor for Artistic/Cultural Achievement. In 2018 Cassandra opened her own Shop/Studio, Clover & Rose, which specializes in unique gifts, art, and vintage items. In 2022 and 2023 Cassandra was awarded Minnesota State Arts Board grants to work with under-served communities and neighborhoods in Rochester to create neighborhood murals. Cassandra lives in Rochester, Minnesota with her husband and two children.
Cassandra has exhibited as a solo artist as well as various group exhibitions including Winona State University, The University of Minnesota, and at the Austin Art Works Center in Austin, Minnesota. In 2016 she was awarded Rochester Mayor’s Medal of Honor for Artistic/Cultural Achievement. In 2018 Cassandra opened her own Shop/Studio, Clover & Rose, which specializes in unique gifts, art, and vintage items. In 2022 and 2023 Cassandra was awarded Minnesota State Arts Board grants to work with under-served communities and neighborhoods in Rochester to create neighborhood murals. Cassandra lives in Rochester, Minnesota with her husband and two children.
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Questions? Contact [email protected]
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