Holt, Tilghman On Board for Garden, But Fund-Raising May Stymie Project

Matthew Hersh

The planning for Quark Park, the 2005 version of Writers Block, a project that paired local architects with local writers to create an outdoor installation of garden structures, or "follies" along Paul Robeson Place, is in motion.

The 2004 project teamed authors Paul Krugman, Joyce Carol Oates, and Peter Singer with architects Ron Berlin, Gil Rampy, and Peter Wasem, respectively. The 2005 Quark Park sets a similar objective, but this time pairing scientists with architects, resulting in something a little more, well, left-brained.

Rep. Rush Holt (D-12), a former assistant director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, and Princeton University President Shirley Tilghman, a professor of molecular biology, have already agreed to team with architects such as Alan Kehrt and Bill Gittings for the design of their garden follies. There are even plans to have this year's park wireless accessible, so people can construct algorithms online while contemplating the architectural possibilities the follies represent.

There's just one small problem.

"We're some $95,000 short," said Kevin Wilkes, architect of the Princeton Design Guild, and member of the management team of both last year's Writers Block and this year's Quark Park. Organizers had hoped to raise about $60,000 out of the $100,000 pricetag of the project before they could set a definitive timeline.

In March, when organizers announced that Writers Block would return in its new form, they targeted Princeton University's Reunions Weekend as the time for opening. This goal looks less and less likely to be met.

"Now, we can't really predict an opening date," said Mr. Wilkes. "We've received donations from people who supported us last year, but we haven't broken any new ground with any new people." he added that the "large corporate gift angle" was currently being courted.

"Quite honestly, we're looking for a couple of heavy hitters to step up and get us started," he said.

Last year, Mr. Wilkes, along with Peter Soderman, Hope VanCleaf, and Alan Goodheart, took a combined $120,000 loss on the project. The money was personally fronted with the hope that an end-of-the-season auction of the follies would help ease the financial blow. It did not.

"Peter and I are not excellent fund-raisers, we're not even good fund-raisers, and we've been talking to people to help us and it's not going as quickly as we'd like it to go," he said.

The possibility of applying for grants could be an option in the future, Mr. Wilkes, said, but it is too late for this year's season. What could make the project more attractive to foundations that appropriate grants is the garden's merit. In November 2004, Writers Block was honored by the New Jersey chapter of the American Institute of Architects with the "Honor Award for Built Project."

Other scientists who are on board for the project thus far are, from Princeton University: Lincoln Hillister, professor of geosciences; Naomi Leonard, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering; Samuel Philander, Director of the Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies Program; George Scherer, professor of civil and environmental engineering; Paul Steinhardt, professor of physics; Perry Cook, associate professor of computer science; David Dobkin, Dean of the Faculty; Robert Goldston, the director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory; and from Rutgers University, Tracey Shors, professor of psychology.

With all that brainpower, there should certainly be some way to devise a fund-raising scheme, so Mr. Wilkes is not worried. Not yet, at least.

"We're talking to people who have a specific interest in the Princeton community," he said. "The reason to support this would be because it is a special gift to the community-at-large."