Wayland Cultural Council to seek Astley grant for rail trail doors project

WAYLAND — January 10, 2023 — Wayland Cultural Council backs grant pursuit for rail trail doors project. The council voted unanimously on Jan. 10 to apply by the Jan. 31 deadline for up to $2,000 from the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund to install painted recycled doors along the rail trail, an idea modeled on a project at The Umbrella Arts Center. Chair Rachel Seidman-Kurtz said costs run roughly "$200 a door" for the artist plus about $50 installation, which could fund five or six pieces. Members also approved $450 — drawing $331.88 from a utility-box holdback and the balance from administrative funds — to print four multilingual "Welcome to Wayland — You Belong Here" banners in 10 languages plus ASL, with member Nora Rothschild walking the council through a first-draft design that drew feedback on hand-color choices and the orange-and-blue palette's resemblance to school colors.