Our 2020 Photo Contest was a success! Patterson Park has so many talented photographers. You can check out the results HERE. We enjoyed seeing the park through your eyes!
A 2021 Calendar featuring many of the photo winners is available in our store! Get yours before they sell out!
Photo credit Kevin B. Moore
2021 Friends of Patterson Park Calendar
Now available in our store!
Say hello to Colleen Mader, our awesome summer volunteer!
She’s currently working with us through an AmeriCorps program, as an Up2Us Sports VISTA (or “Volunteer in Service to America”). We’re grateful to have her onboard for the rest of August!
From Colleen: “This summer I’ve been working on a variety of projects, and you may have seen me leading our Sunday morning park clean ups! I’m originally from Baltimore, but I go to school abroad at NYU Abu Dhabi, where I study public policy. My main interests are public health, social justice, environmental justice, and international relations. When I’m not working or studying, you can find me cooking up my favorite meals I learned from living in Morocco, practicing a new language, or going on long walks listening to podcasts!
This summer has been an enriching experience, and I love working with Friends of Patterson Park for so many reasons. To name a few, it’s really interesting for me to be involved with a public park within an urban area, as it’s a great example of how to improve community health and relations. I also love when I talk to the volunteers at our clean up events (come out and talk to me! From 6+ feet away!) and learn more about their experiences, and why they love Patterson Park. Seeing the variety of activities people partake in at the park always brings me so much joy, whether it’s walks with family, yoga classes, mindfulness sessions, or anything else!
This summer has already taught me so much, and I’m excited to share some of what I’ve learned with you all!”
The Friends of Patterson Park stands with those who are fighting in support of Black lives and racial justice.
As an organization, we believe that parks are central to individual and community health and well-being. We acknowledge that as a well-used public space, Patterson Park has seen its share of historic segregation and racism over its long history. We remain committed to promoting use of the park by all Baltimore City residents and visitors; sustaining partnerships with Black- and Latinx-led organizations; and advocating for equitable park funding Citywide.
But there is more we can do.
Looking forward, we will work to increase diversity and add more Black perspectives to our leadership – both staff and Board of Directors. We will listen, and we will continue to speak out against racist speech and actions. Members of our staff and Board of Directors who are white will educate ourselves on the perpetuation of white supremacy in public spaces. We commit to expanding our outreach to our local communities done in recent years that have enabled us to better understand and serve everyone’s needs. These efforts have resulted in the realization of new programming and youth employment opportunities. We will continue to learn and to integrate our learning into programming and advocacy to reflect Baltimore’s diversity in our public spaces.
We look forward to partnering with those who share our values and working toward a future where all of our parks are a welcoming haven for everyone, including Black, Latinx, indigenous, and other historically marginalized populations.
We will be sharing with you our efforts to date and future steps in the coming weeks. If you have ideas on park-related initiatives or have questions or comments, please contact us.
Today, Saturday, May 9, 2020, we "officially" broke ground on the restoration of the historic 1868 Park Superintendent's house, our headquarters in Patterson Park! This project is Phase 1 of a two part plan to renovate the white house into a Visitors Center and our offices (Phase 1) and to construct a community programming space and courtyard behind the original structure (Phase 2).
Thank you so much to all of our members, project donors, funders and partners who have made this long-awaited day possible! We look forward to sharing our progress!
For more information on the project and how to lend your support to Phase 2, visit our campaign webpage, https://pattersonpark.com/capitalcampaign.
Enjoy this special video of our “virtual” groundbreaking (and be sure to stay to the end for a special treat)!
The Friends of Patterson Park is encouraging responsible use of the park using the guidelines and direction of Baltimore City Recreation and Parks and the State of Maryland. Click on this link or the button below for the most recent updates for Patterson Park, both to the current rules and for updates to our schedule.
