I live in Egleston Square, “that great neighborhood where JP and Roxbury shake hands”. I love this little pedacito del mundo with all my heart. In August 2024 when the fence around the Peace Garden came down and the old stage was deconstructed and removed, I salvaged some big heavy chunks of lumber and made these sweet birds which are inspired by the mourning doves who visit me a lot in my backyard in the spring. They are symbolic of peace. I knew I needed to make these birds with the parts of the stage I was able to sneak out of there.

These birds came into being out of my commitment to transformation and alchemy, taking something that is perceived to be of no value, and turning it into something playful and fun. I believe that any material can be made beautiful with love and care. They are perched on a mural panel by Samantha Rivera which was painted two years ago and put on the fence that was put up around the Peace Garden because the previous owners could not keep the space clean and safe. It was painted on very thin plywood and was rotting around the edges. I was able to save it by cutting off the perimeter, gluing it to a bigger piece of plywood and giving it a frame. It said “KEEP THE PEACE” which I color matched and edited to say “KEPT THE PEACE” thanks to great neighborhood activism and organizing. The Mayor and representatives from the Boston Parks and Recreation Department came out for a community celebration and daffodil planting in late October to celebrate this milestone, and we also honored the memory of Elaine Senechal, the Greater Egleston Community High School science teacher whose vision inspired the students and community to build the Peace Garden twenty years ago.