Cynthia D’Agosta
Cynthia D’Agosta got comfortable in a garden as a child.
Her Italian grandparents had a garden. Together the family would make sausages, ravioli and wine – D’Agosta commented on the smells as she described it. An adventurous youth, D’Agosta enjoyed being outside and exploring but also had an affinity for art. Through her career, art remained as more of a hobby while D’Agosta focused more on creating meaningful public spaces. In December, D’Agosta will officially become the executive director at Filoli, the historic house and acres of gardens located in Woodside. The 58-year-old is so eager to take on the position that she’s already spending time at the beautiful location getting to know employees and volunteers. This week she’ll have the chance to meet some of the property’s many supporters at its largest fundraiser, Holiday Traditions.
“I’m excited for all of it,” D’Agosta said, adding she’ll spend the start of her job listening to the ideas of those who really know Filoli. “I’m looking forward to seeing what people are doing and getting back into a landscape like this.”
D’Agosta was born in Vallejo but moved to San Jose at 8. Her exploration of art has included a variety of mediums from carving marble to bronze castings and watercolor. She studied science and fine arts while at University of California in Santa Cruz. As a banana slug, D’Agosta began working with architects in town. It was through that work that she was introduced to the world of landscaping.
It was through her sister that D’Agosta met Gary Blickenstaff, her husband of 38 years. They both worked at different locations for the same department store and D’Agosta’s sister was convinced they would hit it off. She was right. The pair has two children and three grandchildren today.
The couple traveled east early in their careers to continue their education. D’Agosta studied landscape architecture at Harvard while Blickenstaff attended Tufts University. During the summers, D’Agosta helped with a project at Acadia National Park in Maine. The park hadn’t been built for the large recreational vehicles that were now frequenting the park. The goal was to update the park’s general plan to solve issues but also preserve historic aspects. While at Harvard, D’Agosta took part in a cooperative project at Campabello Island. Part of the island attracted wealthy, seasonal visitors while another end included a small fishing community. The challenge was to find a way for both to survive on the space.
Through school D’Agosta realized her desire to work in a way that allows her to work with communities.
D’Agosta first took a job with a Southern California company working on landscape. But, after two years, she decided to work with Los Angeles County as a park planner. The job kept her busy with managing trails and significant ecological. D’Agosta was also part of a the team that, over five years, created a master plan for the Los Angeles River – a task that required many cities and government agencies to work together. Her work led to a position with the Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy which was focusing on the Los Angeles River. Today, D’Agosta can see much of her plans becoming reality along the river.
A position with the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority brought D’Agosta back to northern California. She left after eight years to be executive director at the Committee for Green Foothills.
Despite not officially starting in her new role, D’Agosta is already getting started. She’s starting to learn the lay of the land, literally, and those who have helped Filoli run so smoothly thus far. Once she’s settled, D’Agosta is eager to take part in the art courses offered on site.
Heather Murtagh can be reached by email: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.
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