Easthampton’s newest public sculpture, Easthampton Storyscape: A Salute to Volunteers for the Arts — created by artists Janna Ugone and Piper Foreso — is located on the Nashawannuck Pond Promenade in the heart of the Cottage Street Cultural District. This public sculpture honors and celebrate the past, present, and future of volunteerism in the arts and cultural sectors in the City of Easthampton.
This engaging and meaningful public installation also serves as a heartfelt tribute to two dear and beloved community members, Debra Tautznik and Denise Herzog, whose lives were sadly lost too soon. Debra and Denise were each artists and long-standing members of Easthampton’s creative community, dedicated volunteers, and true champions for the city. All of us at Easthampton City Arts continue to be inspired by their efforts, their characters, and their memories—and this opportunity was created in their honor.
Janna and Piper are both longtime professional Easthampton artists who have been committed to and engaged in the creative growth of Easthampton for decades. Additionally, each artist’s studio practice had been based at Cottage Street Studios for several years—with Janna establishing her space in 1987 and Piper setting up shop in 1997, making for a combined tenure of 60+ years. This ongoing dedication to their creative work is deeply inspiring and continues to impact our community in vital and dynamic ways. Furthermore, both the selected artists as well as the artists being commemorated were contemporaries, all sharing the values and practice of creativity, community-building, and friendship. In fact, they all were working diligently, joyfully, and simultaneously to establish the arts community in Easthampton that is thriving today.
This project was completed in 2024.
