Press
2/5/26 Cultivating Place Podcast
I was thrilled to be a guest on my favorite gardening public radio show & podcast, Cultivating Place.
Listen on soundcloud, spotify or apple podcasts.
THE HEALING POWER OF FLOWERS & OTHER ACTS OF GARDENING, TANJA HOLLANDER.
You know the hundreds of thousands of flowers, floral bouquets, candles, and other bits of personal importance that people are called to leave at the physical locations of traumatic events? These flowers and other ephemera, and the human impulse behind them, are what catalyze Tanja Hollander.
This week on Cultivating Place, host Ben Futa is in conversation with Tanja, an artist & activist Gardener based in the US Northeast. Tanja works with gardens, social practice, photography, video, and installation to understand how cultural and visual relationships help us make sense of our chaotic world.
Hollander said she wants the gardens to be used as a place to reflect and serve as a symbol of hope for Lewiston and Auburn. The Lewiston garden is at the intersection of Oxford and Beech Streets, and the Auburn garden is at Bonney Park.
10/25/25 - Channel 8 news
Hollander, an Auburn-based artist, wanted to create something meaningful for and by her community. Instead of a mural or monument, she envisioned a garden that her neighbors could help create.
"You can learn how to dig a hole and make the world a little bit better, one flower at a time," Hollander said.
For many who came to help, the garden represents both grief and hope. Lewiston residents Sarah Gillespie and her son Luke said they’ve stayed rooted in their community despite the pain of that October night in 2023.
“There’s still violence and crime,” Gillespie said. “There’s still a lot of change that’s needed, but we still love it here. We’re not going anywhere.”
10/25/25 - News Center Maine
After the shootings, Hollander, who lives in Auburn, watched as impromptu memorials sprouted up outside the bowling alley and the bar.
She said she felt drawn to the bouquet sleeves in particular. At the first snowfall of the year, and with the help of the Lewiston Public Works Department, she gathered them by the dozen.
"They had this emotional value to me that I don't think I totally understood at the time," she said. "But I really like the idea of recycling something that was meant to be trash and making something beautiful out of it."
10/25/24 - Maine Public
A number of art exhibits taking place in Maine highlight the role that art can play in helping individuals and communities heal and grow stronger. We’ll hear from artists about their work--and about current exhibits that have interactive components. One such exhibit features items from Lewiston-area community members that represent memories and healing, in the wake of the shootings last October.
4/12/24 - Maine Calling
