Benches are back: community art for the summer

For the second year, community decorated benches have been placed throughout Auburn to be enjoyed throughout the summer.

June 30, 2016 4:20 pm
BenchMarks is coordinated through the City of Auburn
BenchMarks is coordinated through the City of Auburn

For the second year, community decorated benches have been placed throughout Auburn to be enjoyed throughout the summer.

The popular community art program was initiated in 2015, and works with local community groups to paint, carve and otherwise artistically alter plain wooden benches into works of sit-able art.

The benches, built by the Green River College Carpentry Division, appear throughout Auburn – in parks, along the sidewalks and in neighborhoods where people gather.

A number of community groups stepped forward to take on the challenge of modifying a bench and the results are diverse, interesting and fun.

New benches by the Auburn Food Bank, the Auburn Valley Humane Society, Pacific Ballroom Dance and the Auburn Soroptimist International Club join the benches created previously by two local high school art clubs – Auburn Riverside and Auburn Mountainview high schools.

Other benches represent the after-school youth program of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe; the Kiwanis (morning and noon) and Lions clubs; and community organizations, including the Green River College Interurban Center for the Arts, the See Ya Later Foundation, the Auburn Valley YMCA and the White River Valley Museum.

Each bench has signage about the bench creators and a smart-phone mobile tour (www.stqry.com) with the locations of all the benches throughout town.

In early October, the benches will be gathered and stored for the winter and redistributed for the following summer along with new community created benches.

Other community art projects occurring this summer include the popular Pianos on Parade (July 21-Aug. 25) and free ArtRageous hands-on art activities as part of special events at Kids SummerStage on Wednesdays, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., July 7 through Aug. 10 at Les Gove Park, and Summer Sounds and Cinema on July 29, Aug. 5 and 12 at 7 p.m.

BenchMarks is coordinated through the City of Auburn, Parks, Arts & Recreation Division. For information on BenchMarks or other cultural arts programs, visit www.auburnwa.gov/arts or call 253-931-3043.