As 2020 dawned, shiny and full of promise, Washington Square Park was prepared to greet the new decade with a season of fun. However, as the pandemic closed in on us we quickly realized that 2020 was going to look very different than anyone had imagined.  Like everyone, we had to adjust and readjust every facet of our work for the Park, including some new programs and enhancements that were envisioned for the next few years. 

But in spite of all the plans worked—and reworked—there have been so many bright spots that we think are worth celebrating in ANY year, but are particularly sweet in 2020.

COMMITTING TO THOSE GETTING IT DONE

WSPC directly employs two office staff, and provides funds to NYC Parks for an additional 5 full-time and 2 seasonal staff members at Washington Square Park. While the city-wide hiring freeze meant the seasonal staff couldn’t join the team this year, it still left 7 full-time employees whose positions WSPC supports. At the beginning of the pandemic, WSPC recommitted to funding these positions, no matter what the economic landscape. That promise means these hard working folks will be on the job and taking care of Washington Square Park now and in years to come. 

Ensuring that the Parks staff stayed on was of particular importance as WSP served the community. Throughout everything, the Park staff —all of them designated essential workers since the very start of the pandemic — have been on the job to keep Washington Square Park the place you know and love.

KEEPING ARTS ALIVE

Since 2016, WSPC has provided funding through our Community Arts Grants (CAG) programs to help support community organizations and local arts groups who have built a strong relationship with the Park and Village neighbors like you. Some of your Park favorites, like the Folk Festival and Dances for a Variable Population, are longtime grantees. 

When the pandemic hit and it became clear that most, if not all, of our CAG recipients would be unable to host their events in person, a decision needed to be made. WSPC had already earmarked funding in the annual budget for applicants, but should that money be distributed if the “product” of an in-Park event couldn’t be delivered? The answer was a resounding yes. The grants are an essential source of revenue for those producing arts in Washington Square Park. While some of the organizations stashed their grant aside in preparation for next season, a number of them were able to provide online alternatives. The Washington Square Music Festival delivered weekly pre-recorded concerts through the month of June. Dances for a Variable Population began streaming their adult movement classes online. And Films on the Green provided a weekly online guide to some favorites from previous seasons. While the events weren’t the same, they kept the spirit alive until we can be back in the Park together. 

WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK FROM HOME

There’s a reason that Washington Square Park is known as the heart of Greenwich Village; it’s always thrumming with life and activity. Whether you’re here for a stroll and some people-watching or to partake in one of the Park’s scheduled programs, there’s always a good reason to be in WSP. In a typical season WSPC alone hosts fitness classes for kids, adults, and seniors, crafting afternoons for kids, weekend tours and volunteering days. That’s not counting all the events hosted by partner organizations!

When the pandemic made all that impossible, we knew that folks wouldn’t be using the Park in quite the same way as they had before. But we were determined to help keep you connected, so we turned where so many people did: online. And it was a great success! Each week excited newbies and dedicated returners attended our virtual fitness classes with Barre Method NoHo and CorePower Yoga (featuring fun Park-themed virtual backgrounds).

The Parks’ youngest users signed on for bi-monthly kids storytime with our friends at Hudson Park Library. Dozens of you signed up to attend our “Lunchtime Lectures,” a new program where twice a month a member of the WSPC family would host a ~30 minute talk on a different facet of the Park from history to horticulture. We even got to see some of you and your adorable 4-legged friends when we helped our friends at the Dachshund Friendship Club bring their beloved Spring Fiesta and Octoberfest online. It was a thrill to watch the WSP community thrive and enjoy their Park, even from the comfort and safety of a couch. 

YOU TURNED UP THE SUPPORT 

Maintaining a space like Washington Square Park is expensive, even in the best of times. But in the middle of a pandemic, securing that additional necessary funding is an increasingly difficult task. But that’s where you stepped up.

Although it happened a bit later than our usual springtime affair, this September bore witness to WSPC’s first ever virtual benefit. Featuring a pre-recorded video tour of Village neighbor Miyoung Lee’s spectacular collection of work by diverse artists followed by a live Q&A with the collector herself, this Zoom soiree brought together dozens of the Park’s supporters in support of your favorite outdoor spot. Together you raised the highest amount in WSPC’s history: a testament to the devotion of the Park’s supporters and the hard work of the Conservancy staff. That funding goes directly to support workers and programs essential to Washington Square Park. 

But your  support didn’t stop there. When WSPC put out the call for additional funds, you answered.Together the generous WSPC Board raised $25,000 to match contributions from the community dollar for dollar, with the end result being an additional $50,000 in funding for the Park during this crucial—and economically uncertain time. As of today (12/22/2020) the campaign has raised over $19,000. There’s still time for you to help us reach our goal. Donate now.

WELCOMING WILL

WSP was lucky to welcome a new familiar face to the family: Will Morrison, Deputy Administrator for Washington Square Park! While Will might be a new member of the WSP team, he’s no stranger to the Park, or NYC Parks. A lifelong New Yorker who first experienced the park as a teenager, Will has spent the last 6 years working in the Marketing & Citywide Special Events division of NYC Parks. He served as Senior Manager for the last 3 years overseeing over 100 special events annually, executing citywide marketing campaigns, and so much more. It’s a role that prepares you for the fast-paced and ever-changing environment that is Washington Square Park. And with a degree from Trinity College in both Political Science and Urban Studies, Will hit the ground ready to handle anything the Park can throw his way. Only weeks into the job and he’s fast become an essential part of the NYC Parks team that keeps things running at WSP.

THE NEW CLEAN TEAM

In any year, signing on 24 new volunteers to one of our long-term programs would be amazing. To do it in 2020 was a feat indeed. 

When a city-wide hiring freeze prevented WSPC from funding the 2 additional seasonal staff that usually work through the warmer months, the Parks’ full-time staff struggled to keep up. The Washington Square Park community stepped up to help fill the gaps. In September WSPC launched the Volunteer Clean Team program with neighbors from the Village and across NYC who pick up trash in the Park on their own schedule. Although only running for a few months, the Clean Team program has  already made a significant impact on cleanliness in the Park, with volunteers contributing over 100 hours.

A GATHERING SPOT

Even a global pandemic can’t stop WSP from being WSP. Washington Square Park was the epicenter of many of this year’s iconic moments, whether to mourn, to protest, or to celebrate. Despite the uncertainty of the world around us, the Park continued to fulfil its purpose as it has done for hundreds of years: to be a public place for all people to come together. 

In a year of so many downs, it seems that now, as always, Washington Square is a bright spot.