The Fort Greene Park Conservancy (FGPC) is gearing up for the Park's high season, and we are seizing the unique opportunity to celebrate our park this summer, the 100th Anniversary year of the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument. This monument and what it stands for should fill us all with civic pride and motivate the Fort Greene community to commit our resources and support to the park. If you want to know more about the Monument visit the FGPC website.

FGPC is proud to offer the second event in a series leading up to the Centennial Celebration in November. Last Sunday (April 27), we offered a walking tour, exploring Walt Whitman's tireless dedication to getting the Monument erected (though he never saw the existing column) and his life in our neighborhood. The tour was such a success and we have had many requests to repeat it. If you are interested, please email us.

This Sunday, you can get a rare glimpse inside the monument when the FGPC partners with the Fort Greene Association house tour 2008 on May 4 from 12 - 5 pm in the park. I will be on hand to welcome you and answer questions about the monument....on the US National Register of Historic Places!

See you in the park!

The 1908 Prison Ship Martyrs Monument which stands in the heart of Fort Greene Park will be opened to the participants in the Fort Greene House Tour on Sunday May 4, 2008. Although the elevator and stairs were removed in the 1930s this rare glimpse inside the newly restored structure is a treat not available to the public for many years. Visitors can also preview the new landscaping around the monument which has been in the process of being renovated for the past 18 months.

This opening is the second scheduled event in the year-long celebration of the Centennial of the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument which will culminate with a grand celebration weekend on the anniversary of the dedication on this November 14-16, 2008.

The Prison Ship Martyrs Monument Celebration is looking for Volunteers! The Martyrs Monument Memorial Centennial Celebration committee is looking for volunteers to help us with the festivities. November 2008 is not that far away. For those interested in helping with this event please contact the committee's chairperson, Ruth Goldstein, at 718-596-0899.

The renown artist, musician and photographer, David Barratt will be showing his new works in an exhibit entitled "Fort Greene Park (Winter 2008)" at Smooch, located at 264 Carlton Avenue (off Dekalb Ave), Fort Greene, Brooklyn, NY. The exhibit closes on May 16 2008. 10% of all sales will be donated to the Fort Greene Conservancy.

According to the artist, "Nearly every morning this winter I walked across the park with my dog and often found myself looking at the complicated shapes of the bare branches of the trees. Almost instinctually I started taking photos of them not really knowing what I was doing. I played around with the mandala concept and it became clear that that I was seeing more than just the shapes before me. Fort Greene Park was becoming a meditative space that was part of the rhythm of my life. This exhibition is a record of that time. These pictures form part of a series I will completing throughout the year."

For more information go to davidbarratt.com.

Come, enjoy and purchase the works of some of Brooklyn's best artists and designers at this year's Artisan Market. "You'll find no fleas here... just independent design & fine art."

Now in its sixth year, the Artisan Market runs on Saturdays until June 28, from 9 AM to 6 PM. The market is located adjacent to the Greenmarket at Fort Greene Park on DeKalb Ave and Washington Park. For more information check the website at www.artisan-market.org. The Artisan Market helps support Fort Greene Park through donations to the Conservancy.

Scarf by Holly Ellis.

This year's Fort Greene House Tour is on Sunday, May 4th, from Noon to 5 PM. Those who make the trip this spring will, as in 2006, enjoy an eclectic array of homes, from classic brownstones evoking Fort Greene's rich past to more modern homes at the cutting edge of taste and style. In addition to Fort Greene's houses, tour goers will also have the opportunity to explore some of our local businesses and other fascinating surprises that can be found only in Fort Greene.

Advance tickets are $20 and Day of Tour tickets are $25. Advance tickets are now available at five locations in Fort Greene: the BAM box office (30 Lafayette Ave), YU Interiors (15 Greene Ave), Gnarly Vines (350 Myrtle Ave) the Greenmarket (Saturdays only, DeKalb and Lafayette), and the Brooklyn Flea (Sundays only, Clermont and Lafayette). On the day of the tour tickets will be available at the BAM Garden (Fulton St & Lafayette Ave) and the Brooklyn Flea (Clermont & Lafayette). Tickets can also be purchased online (via PayPal) at the new dedicated House Tour website at fgahousetour.org.

Meet at the Visitor Center at the top of the hill for this citywide volunteer day sponsored by Partnership for Parks. For more information or to volunteer, please call Eileen Remor at (212) 360-8126 or visit the New York Restoration Project's website at www.nyrp.org.