Metal sculptor Stacey Mrva of Rochester, left, and Nikki Calhoun, president of the Le Roy Garden Club, address a group of about 25 people on Friday afternoon shortly after unveiling two steel benches, titled “Rooted Harmony”, at the Wiss Lot at the corner of Routes 5 and 19 in the Village of Le Roy. Photo by Mike Pettinella/For Video News Service.
BY MIKE PETTINELLA
For Video News Service
The Le Roy Garden Club celebrated a special time in the sun on Friday afternoon by unveiling two impressive and inspiring hand-crafted benches that will enable community residents to enjoy their time in the sun for many years to come.
Women who were instrumental in the installation ceremony of the benches are, from left, Genesee County Legislator Shelley Stein, Garden Club members Rita Wallace, Lucy MacKenzie, Candy Bower and Judith Alberts, artist Stacey Mrva, Garden Club President Nikki Calhoun, Jodi Fisher of the GO Art! and Garden Club member Barb Galliford. Photo by Mike Pettinella/For Video News Service.
Nikki Calhoun, garden club president, welcomed a couple dozen people to the green space known as the Wiss Lot at the corner of Routes 5 and 19 to mark the community’s heritage and appreciation of nature.
The garden club and the Village of Le Roy maintain the village property that has been transformed into a vibrant greenspace, she said.
Judith Alberts, chair of the Wiss Lot for the garden club, acknowledged the club members who have contributed to the project.
“We’re very proud of our motto, ‘Getting down and dirty since 1954!’ and we are thrilled about these benches,” she said.
The benches, titled “Rooted Harmony”, were crafted by Stacey Mrva of Springwater in Livingston County, a metal sculptor and founder of Ironwood Studios Inc. Mrva’s work is on display throughout the Finger Lakes region.
Mrva thanked the group for the opportunity to create the benches.
“One of things that I absolutely love about what I get to do is creating artwork that people can interact with and gather as a community to celebrate things they are really proud of about their community,” she said.
“These benches represent the copper beech tree that was in front of the library that unfortunately had to be taken down. They kind of follow the shape of the tree and then there are the beech leaves which sort of represent those – those of us who are nostalgic for those beautiful trees that unfortunately had to go. But hopefully these will bring us a lasting memory and a wonderful place for the community to gather.”
Genesee County Legislator Shelley Stein said the Wiss Lot “represents the last piece of the green to match the other four corners of the community, and from a planning perspective and from a welcoming perspective, the green in this corner is really important.”
“It has already established itself as a piece of peace here in the corner of our two state routes. So, congratulations to the group that has worked so hard on this corner.”
The Wiss Lot bench project was funded by the statewide community regrant program, administered by GO Art! and supported by the NY State Council on the Arts, the Office of the Governor and New York State Legislature.
Jodi Fisher, GO Art! program director and community regrant coordinator, said the project is part of the agency’s mission to bring arts and cultural events and programming into communities. She said more than $385,000 was regranted in Genesee and Orleans counties in 2025 “and we’re looking at the same for 2026.”
Calhoun thanked the Le Roy Village Board and the Department of Public Works for their support and acknowledged the efforts of the garden club members who understand that “beautifying our community is very important.”