Building a World-Class Labyrinth at Peace Memorial Rose Garden Park
For over a year, we have been working with a small committee of dedicated neighbors who know we can do better for their local park. During Covid, long periods of isolation were followed by moments of grief and despair. For many, this time was an awakening and new-found appreciation for our local parks as a haven from contagion and as a place of safety.
Peace Memorial Rose Garden Park, located across from Willow Branch Library and next to the Riverside Avondale Community Garden, was this haven for Hazel Cleary and Ruth Thompson. One lone bench facing a small number of newly planted oak trees was all that remained at this prominent, Park Street-facing public space.
The history of Peace Memorial Rose Garden Park is vivid. The space is a piece of the larger Willow Branch Park, cut out in 1950 by The Garden Club of Jacksonville, who worked to plant the site with roses as a symbol of “world peace” following World War II. After decades, the upkeep of roses halted.
Riverside Avondale Preservation is proud to support the project to bring a world-class labyrinth to this park featuring a “Rosette” as its centerpiece, alluding to its history but providing an opportunity for seeking inner peace today through the process of walking the labyrinth. We hope you will join us in supporting this project financially as we look to raise an additional $30,000 before December 31, 2023.
Friends of the Labyrinth
Labyrinths are an ancient archetype dating back 4,000 years or more, used symbolically, as a walking meditation, choreographed dance, or site of ceremonies among other things. Labyrinths are tools for personal, psychological, and spiritual transformation; they are also thought to enhance right-brain activity. Labyrinths are not mazes; they have one pathway in and one out. The journey on that path allows the mind to unwind and find balance.
The Friends of the Labyrinth at Peace Park is a grassroots citizen committee formed in partnership with the City of Jacksonville and the Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP). Their goal is to build and install a 40 ft. Chartres-inspired stone labyrinth at the Peace Memorial Rose Garden in historic Riverside. The purpose of this park is to help enhance the history of the park and to create an interactive meditative environment for the community to enjoy.
The total cost for the Labyrinth includes not only stone construction and installation, but also new amenities for Peace Park including benches, sidewalks, signage, and more. It includes long-term maintenance and plans for public art in the near future.
Friends of the Labyrinth are seeking to raise $220,000 as the total project cost and have raised $89,000 of that goal. Three fundraisers planned for this fall seek to raise an additional $30,000, further cementing our future in this park.
Visitors walking a chalk outline of a Labyrinth during Garden Tour 2023.
How You Can Support
The best way to support the project today is to donate to the project by participating in and/or attending the Silent Art Auction or donating to the project directly. A number of additional events are taking place this fall hosted independently. Thank you to the organizers!
Riverside Liquors | October 25, 2023, 6-9:30
The Silent Online Auction is live now thru October 25 at 6pm, when the in-person event will take over. The highest bidder on each item will walk away with the item.
Thank you to the artists who have donated to this event!
Labyrinth Luminaria
Peace Memorial Rose Garden Park | December 10, dusk-dark
Visit the Labyrinth in its planned location during Luminaria where the design will be lit by candles for all to enjoy. Cozy drinks, food trucks, and ways to donate to the project will be on hand. Help us reach our fundraising goals AND walk the Labyrinth!
Further, the Friends of the Labyrinth committee has received very generous gifts that will help fund the project. These items are a part of the raffles and silent auctions that will be ongoing until we reach our fundraising goals.
THANK YOU to these small businesses and I AM SURE we are missing some here.
4 RIVERS BBQ 9ROUND KICKBOXING
ADVENTURE LANDING
AESTHETICS CENTER ALE PIE HOUSE AMELIA ISLAND OF HISTORY
AVONDALE DANCE DIRECTIONS ART BIKES JAX BAGEL LOVE
BISCOTTIS BRICK RESTAURANT BLUE ORCHID
BRITTANY WEBBER PAINTING BOK TOWER GARDENS BOTE
BURGER FI BUTERFLY WORLD
CATTYSHACK CHARLES AND GEORGE CAR WASH CHEDDARS
CLARAS TIDBITS CLASS AXE THROWING CLAY COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY
CLEARWATER AQARIUM CLUB PILATES COMMUNITY LOAVES
CONGAREE AND PENN CRAYOLA EXPERIENCE CUMMER MUSEUM
CVS CYCLE BAR RIVERSIDE
DOG DAYS CAT NAPS DRYBAR RIVERSIDE
EDGE CITY ESCAPOLOGY
FIRST WATCH FLIP FLOP SHOP FLORIDA THEATRE FOXTAIL COFFEE CO.
FRESH MARKET
GLAZER CHILDREN’S MUSEUM GLENN CERTAIN GLODEA
GOURMET GIFT BASKETS.COM GREAT EXPLORATIONS CHILDRENS MUSEUM
GWN MIMS
HANDS ON CHILDRENS MUSEUM HAPPY HOUNDS HARRY’S RESTAURANT
HARBOUR FREIGHT HARPS
OLD SCHOOL BARBER SHOP
J. ALEXANDERS JACKSONVILLE NAVAL MUSEUM JACKSONVILLE ZOO
JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY J. RIVITER JOSEPHINES JURASSIC BARK
KATHRYN’S WINES KENNEDY SPACE CENTER KENDRA SCOTT
KRAM KRAN PHOTO
LOLA’S LUBAS PET GROOMING STUDIO LUSH, RICH SKIN RIVERSIDE
MARK LESTER SCULPTURE MAC HAIR STUDIO MAYDAY ICE CREAM
MEEHANS IRISH PUB MELTING POT MEMORIAL PARK ASSOCIATION
METRO DINER MOCA MONARCH BALLROOM MOX ICE CREAM
MACQUARIE GROUP
PAINTING WITH A TWIST PHILIPS NURSERY PIE 95 PIZZA PLENTI
PLUSH N’ PRANA PURE BARRE
R&S PICTURE FRAMING RACK ROOM REGINA TORRES RELAX AT HAND
RINGLING MUSEUM TAMPA RIVER AND POST RIVERDALE INN
RIVERSIDE LIQUORSRUBY BEACH BREWING
SEASONS 52 SHORES LIQUORS SOLUNA SPA STUMPYS SWIMMING SAFARI
TAMPA ZOO TENLEY DIETRICH THE BARKING LOT THE FOX
THE WARDROOM TRADER JOES
VALE FOOD COMPANY VALHALLA
WACCA PILATKA WARRIOR KRAV MAGA WILL DICKEY PHOTOGRAPH
WHISK AND WHIRL WHITS FROZEN CUSTARD WILD ADVENTURES
WILD BERRY TEA SPA WINSTON FAMILY YMCA
YOGA DEN
