Rockhaven
Site visit to Rockhave on May 6th, 2017. Front porch on an unusually wet chilly Southern California day.
Invited by artist and curator Linda Ravenswood as part of Place is a Character, Our Prime Property was asked to respond to the Rockhaven Sanitorium located in Northern Glendale, California. Flipping the idea of artists considering the ideal location for their work, O.P.P. interviewed a group of diverse volunteers called the Friends of Rockhaven (FoR) who care for the site in various ways. The group is described on their website as, " a 501(c)(3) formed in 2014 from the efforts of the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley (California) to help preserve Rockhaven Sanitarium. We help to educate the public on the importance of Rockhaven Sanitarium. We hold tours of the property, help to clean and repair the property, and fundraise to help preservation efforts. Ultimately we hope to work with the City of Glendale to rehabilitate Rockhaven and open it as a public park and community center." from Friends of Rockhaven website.
Below is a collection of recorded testimonies speaking to the importance of Rockhaven and what their hopes and dreams are for the site. Conversations were prompted with, "Why did you decide to volunteer to maintain Rockhaven?" and "What are your hopes for the future of Rockhaven?"
Letter to Glendale City Council by Lauren Stockly, Glendale, California
If you are in the area and would like to volunteer your time to help out, you should go here :www.friendsofrockhaven.org/support-us