Garden SITy Art Bench Project

The former Garden City Arts Commission, consisting of members Jodi Eichelberger, Elfreda Higgins, Danielle Hurd, and Dawn Snapp chose artists for the 2019 Garden SITy Art Bench project.  Artists designed and fabricated artistic benches that were placed along the greenbelt and in the City parks.  This project was the first of its kind in the Treasure Valley. 

 

The artists chosen for this project were:

 

  • Ken McCall:  Most of Ken’s childhood was spent exploring various art mediums alongside his grandmother in her art studio, where his passion for sculpture emerged.  For over 20 years he has been sculpting contemporary works that combine clean, flowing lines with unexpected details.  His fabrication skillset serves not only his own art but allows him the opportunity to collaborate with artists of other disciplines to design and create unique works.  Working primarily in metal allows the flexibility to produce both delicate and monumental objects of art that can live in almost any space.  The resulting art is a combination of artistic vision, solid craftsmanship, and careful integration of the piece in the natural setting.  Click here to view our Facebook Album with more photos of Ken's Heron Bench.

 

  • Derek Hurd:  Derek has designed custom furniture and residences for over 20 years in the Treasure Valley.  Operating with a collaborative team at Studio 1212, unique furniture is designed, crafted, and shipped nationwide from the heart of the Live-Work-Create District in Garden City.  At his residential design firm, Gravitas, Derek designs contemporary homes for discerning clients, ranging from new construction on infill and foothills sites to large scale remodels.  Click here to view our Facebook Album with more photos of Derek's "BlueBench."

 

  • Reham Aarti:  Reham is a mosaic artist known for her bold use of color and her love of unusual textural inclusions when creating her art.  She favors a less traditional style, opting for a more modern, playful look.  In 2003 Reham established Mosaic Essential, a full-service mosaic walk-in workshop and studio.  In 2014 Reham established Door #3 studios as an artist co-op in Garden City, Idaho to create space for artists to collaborate and create.  Reham was born and raised in Kuwait and moved to Idaho as a refugee during the Gulf war.  She was very fortunate to be raised in an artistic and very supportive multicultural family.  Reham lives in Idaho with her two sons, Shahien, and Hishom.  Click here and here to view photos of Reham's benches.

 

  • Susan Madacsi:  Susan is an artist and blacksmith who works with steel in the traditional forging manor of a blacksmith, yet challenges traditional aesthetics by redefining the boundaries and definition of blacksmithing, making work that is colorful and contemporary.  In her process, she heats steel to approximately 2200 degrees, where it can be manipulated in the same ways as clay.  She pushes the plasticity of the material in this hot state, achieving a variety of layered textures and patterns, making a multitude of elements to work with, and then intuitively arranges the pieces until she has a composition that she finds interesting and that captures an element of beauty.  She owns and manages Madacsi Studios, LLC in Garden City, Idaho, a workshop and creative space, which is part of a community of local artists and businesses, operating on the Live-Work-Create concept.  Click here to view our Facebook Album with more photos of Susan's bench.

 

  •  Claire Remsberg:  Claire enjoys time outdoors, for both art making and adventure.  She spent her childhood in Seattle and continues to grow up in Idaho and wherever her explorations take her.  She studied Fine Art and Industrial Design in college and continually seeks to learn, share, and promote art in her community.  Public art projects, such as the Garden SITy Art Bench, allow an opportunity to combine her painter and architect sensibilities, as well as her inner alchemist child who needs to play.  She makes art and practices architecture in McCall and Boise, Idaho and wherever else she can get away with it.  Click here to view our Facebook Album of Claire's bench, "Above and Below."

 

  • Russ and Adele Lewis, A Touch of Glass: Long before the age of the internet (in 1989), Russel Lewis, with a vision and determination, started teaching himself how to blow glass in his basement in Eastern Idaho. Living close to Yellowstone and constantly inspired by nature, Russ felt the need to express his awe and appreciation. Over the years, his self-taught techniques and craft have caught up with his artistic vision. His wife Adele has been taught some of his skills and now enjoys working alongside him. She helps to create fused pieces and ornaments. She also takes care of the business aspect of A Touch of Glass.  Click here to view our Facebook Album with more photos of Russ & Adele's "Lazy River" bench.

 

Have fun looking for these Garden SITy Art benches along the greenbelt, at Heron Park, Mystic Cove Park, the Nature Path, Bee City USA-Garden City Pollinator Garden, and Riverside Park in Garden City.

 

Artists' proposals/photos:

 
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