Community Valentine display shares handmade, heartfelt messages
February 12, 2021 | By Lisa Scagliotti 
The folks who brought us the reimagined River of Light lantern parade in December are at it again with an artsy, festive Valentine’s display in downtown Waterbury designed for the community to enjoy while staying pandemic-safe.
Swing by Rusty Parker Memorial Park and check out the gazebo where the Christmas tree is still standing but now it’s surrounded by valentines.
Look a little closer and these aren’t your typical drugstore cutouts (not that there’s anything wrong with those). They’re all handmade and most carry messages from the maker to someone special -- a friend, parent, child or a favorite teacher, mail carrier or grocery store worker. In some cases, that someone might even be a dog.
The project came together with Waterbury Rotary Club members who oversee the park along with artists and art teachers Mame McKee, MK Monley and Sarah-Lee Terrat. While the artists have been busy, community members of all ages have embraced the project.
Dozens of valentines dropped off at Thatcher Brook Primary School recently have been hung up around the gazebo. Whimsical children’s drawings flutter in the breeze alongside detailed, meticulous creations by serious crafters.
One entry caught McKee’s eye as she worked on the display. Made by Julie Wilder who grew up in Duxbury and lives in Middlesex now, the project reflects a special theme and is a remembrance of special times and loved ones.
Julie Wilder's handmade Valentine is a tribute to books, reading and family members who instilled in her a love of books. Courtesy photo.
The collage is made from bits of text culled from old, well-worn and well-read books. Courtesy photo.
The two-sided valentine has a collage of bits of text taken from some of her favorite well-worn childhood books with this message: “Thank you to the Community Readers! Our teachers, parents, librarians, educators, volunteers, caregivers, family, friends, grownups and kids.”
And on the other side: “For the love of books and all they teach us about friendship, joy, faith, love, empathy, grief, courage, hope.”
Wilder called it a “love note to reading, and the books that have shaped me, carried me through many struggles -- especially this past year -- and to the three women who were the readers in my life.
“My mother read to me and encouraged me in all my artistic endeavors. My aunt gave me the Little House books (and many more), and my paternal grandmother, Valentina (who was born on the Callahan farm on the side of Camel's Hump on Valentine's Day in 1917) loved reading, crosswords, and would recite poems and passages to me as a child.”
Creating the valentine was cathartic, she said. “So much wrapped up in making it. Books (and art) equal love.”
The public is invited to visit the display while being mindful to wear masks and keep distance from others you don’t live with.