Code,803001
Subject,Joyce Mariani
Date,2/14/11
Interviewer,Micheal Rebman
Abstract,"Joyce Mariani, the Executive director of the Italian Cultural Garden Foundation shares her story of how she became involved in restoring and renovating the Italian Cultural Garden. She shares her struggles and successes in regards to fundraising, acting as the project manager for the restoration, working with Cleveland bureaucracy, adding new cultural features to the garden, and is currently working on installing wifi. "
Tags,
Special Notes,
Minutes: ,77 minutes
0,Mariani is the Executive Director of the Italian Cultural Garden Foundation. 
1,Got involved because of her passion. Dream to revive gardens. Lived in Rome.
2,Asked to fix up one of the most beautiful gardens at Cultural Gardens dinner. 
3,Asked again by her mother. Was unsure about how to fund raise. 
4,"Walked through- felt like she was back in Rome. Restoration bid of $25,000. "
5,"Vowed to find people to donate. Fall before 2006 founded Cleveland Italian Film Festival. Any proceeds and salary towards $10,000. Would write grants. 2007 formed Italian Cultural Gardens Foundation. "
6,Asked restoration company to restore fountain and wait for payment after Film Festival. Looked up Italian business people. 
7,Began writing articles about the history of the Gardens. 
8,"$63,000 raised for the first fundraiser. "
9,"All $63,000 into infrastructure. Researched history of Renaissance gardens. "
10,Spoke with family of garden designer- discouraged by his son. Italian community helped. 
11,Everything left my Philip Garbo (original garden architect) was destroyed after his death.
12,Found original design papers at City Hall. 
13,"Used divining rods to find drains prior to installing lamp posts. Important to leave records. Promised to devote 2 years after finding purpose, ""This garden is a symbol of the contribution of Italian culture to American democracy."""
14,Monument to Italy. Maybe getting to big to handle.
15,
16,Opera asked to perform in the garden despite construction. 
17,Will be good for the archives. Kept extensive records. Over 340 people came to the Opera. 
18,Called photography department at Plain Dealer-photographer and reporter came to the Opera. 
19,Viva la Culture Italiana. Cultural performances- main foundation was modeled after fountain in Rome. 
20,Opera has taken on a life of its own. 485 came to the next year. 
21,"In 2011, ran out of programs. Over 800 people came. People began to bring picnics. "
22,"Glenville coming to 2011 performance. Key is that the space is becoming usable, functional for the public. Bringing back to the history of the opera. "
23,Responded to much to the opera because of venue- sound of the fountain and nature with the music. 
24,Opera grows on its own. No division East and West. 
25,"Maybe will go over 1,000 people this year. "
26,"Restoring fountain, pieces broken off. Mason from Italy began researching fountain."
27,Modeled after Villa Medici in Rome. Queen Christina shot a canon ball. 
28,"Discovered a bronze canon ball topper to Medici fountain. Able to restore to original design. Delved into research, need to know more than restoration company. "
29,Had to learn restoration facts so she could not do any harm. 
30,Patina- keep the patina of the garden. Americans tend to want everything to look new. Need to keep integrity of historical garden. Soliciting larger donations- people were concerned about safety. Wanted ground lighting.
31,"Ground lighting would get ruined, instead worked towards installing lamp posts. "
32,Out of element- didn't know politics. Stressful enough just to raise money. 
33,Went before the City Landmark Commission.
34,Person who was going to speak on behalf of Mariani was ill. Presented- all she had was her purse. 
35,Could not go any lower. Prayed to Philip Garbo. Saw a picture of the fountain out of the corner of her eye. 
36,
37,A man on the Landmarks board stands up and came to her defense- board approved it. 
38,"Felt like ""Rocky""- man on the board wanted to shake her hand, Joe Simperman. "
39,Lights were like David v Goliath. Will have to go back to the planning commission for other projects. Became the project manager. 
40,Learned everything about the project so nothing would go wrong. 
41,"Another curve ball, was told she needed to pay for the electricity. Making phone calls to find someone to pay $2,000 a year. Parks were slashing their budget. "
42,"Saw Mayor Jackson, put the paper about the Gardens in his suit pocket. "
43,"Glenville councilperson comes out of the elevator, after Mariani yelled for help in the rotunda. "
44,Couldn't leave the burden every year to whoever takes care of the gardens. Council person took care of it. Lighting ceremony in a snow storm. 
45,Lights were important for safety and beauty. Lights look like a big birthday cake. First garden to have comprehensive garden.  
46,"First garden to go green. City would spray cracks with chemical. No chemicals sprayed any longer, sustainable planting. Pantheon structure. "
47,"Miracle of $23,000. Three companies, time came to pay- first company said they were not going to charge. "
48,"Went to second company, said no charge. Third company said no charge. Free $23,000 in restoration. Got a call from Parks. "
49,How did you do the restoration in a month's time? Takes over a year and a half for a project like that. 
50,"1937 Plain Dealer article, south of garden Pantheon with busts of famous Italian man and women. Plaques at the entrance. Table at Home and Garden Show."
51,"Had sign up sheet for film tickets in January- called in fall. Called a woman on the list that wrote ""Grandfather"""
52,Grandfather was the one of the first presidents of the Italian Cultural gardens. Picture emailed with plaques in the background. 
53,Grandfather's house burned down- but still had this picture. Plaques will be installed in the future. Seemed sparse. 
54,Putting in more sculptures of famous Italians. So many firsts came out of Italy. 
55,Need 100 gardens for all of the greats from Italy. Be like an outdoor museum and child friendly. What was given to the world has affected everybody. 
56,"A living monument to Italy. Mark Tabeau's essay about the history, what they mean, and how they are meant to evolve. "
57,A lot of people do not go forward with their knowledge. Gave courage to fight people who didn't understand. 
58,"Plans could not be duplicated- some plants extinct, ginkgo trees were meant to be small, and sees the word 'preliminary' in the plans. "
59,Meant to be evolving. 
60,The stilted thinking comes from ego or comfort. Comfortable is easy. Should always keep questioning. 
61,Difficult raising money for a non necessity. A place to balance the reality. Renaissance gardens began as a haven from the real world. A place to escape and lose yourself. 
62,Feeds our souls. Important to have art and beauty around. Europe is used to the importance of it. Money amounts don't discourage Mariani.
63,Most donors are both individuals and businesses. Received small grants from Holden Trust. 
64,Writing a book. No one was able to find plans for completed garden. 
65,Wanted to quit three times. Keep going because she wanted to create beauty. Create a piece of Italy. 
66,"Firmly believe that she wasn't a business person, and outsider- her passion as an outsider helped her gain support. "
67,"Halfway through the project- $750,000. Not going to set anymore time tables. "
68,From Rome and Cleveland. Did not know the Gardens existed. 
69,Could not believe the renaissance design in Cleveland when she first saw the garden. 
70,No cultural renaissance gardens- makes it a cultural garden because of the cultural figures. 
71,Other two Dantes in the US are the same. Gardens did Dante the way he is. Approached by an artist at the Opera. 
72,All art has a speak. Need to have the cultural background. 
73,Artists offered to draw a sketch- kissed his hands. Everything works together. Had many little miracles throughout the process. 
74,"Hopes it gives people something. Has to do with the visual beauty. Also, working on wifi. "
75,Hooked up to the mother country while walking through the gardens. Unsure who to go to. Head of technology at Case to help. 
76,"Was going to donate $2,000 camera. Now the issue is tied up at city hall. Become a slow and difficult process. "
77,Going to bring the area alive. Another raindrop in the city of Cleveland of what civic activists do all over. Heritage tourism could really explode. End.