The Bench Blog

Tiles painted by students of Randolph School will be assembled on their school’s bench and completed in early 2009.

Sponsored by Athens State University, tiles for another bench are being painted by students of Creekside Elementary. Bench will be completed and installed at Athens State in early 2009.

Lesson plans for the benches are developed by AL A&M University Art Education graduate students.

Our first bench was completed in May 2008. It leads the way for many other collaborative creative efforts to beautify our city.

Waiting for beautiful, colorful tiles

Sponsored by Alpha Omega Alpha Fraternity at AL A&M University. Tiles painted by Mastin Lake Elementary School students. Bench is located on campus of AL A&M University.

Great news from Jennie-the 5th check arrived on Friday!  That is a nice number.  Ponder “Five”.  Yes, it feels good.  We can declare the project is born. 

Masoltov, blessings, & congratulations to Diane, Jennie, Curt, and the other members of the Student Outreach committee of the Alabama Clay Conference! By the spring of 2009, the participants of the Clay Conference will be able to visit several benches, and additional benches will be seen in Huntsville as the year progresses.

One fraternity saw the value in sponsoring the collaboration between a sponsor, elementary school students and college art education students. Certainly more fraternities will follow suit.  The project has a good foundation. There are at least 10 teachers at 10 different schools who will be thrilled to see the bench come into fruition next year.  Jennie and art education students at A&M, and elementary school art classes will be BUSY!

Will a train deliver the first order of benches??? Let’s have a parade!

When is a project ”born”?  Perhaps it was born when Diane moved to Huntsville as a new bride with a twinkle in her eyes, wondering if art and engineering can co-exist in the same town.  Perhaps the project was born when she fondly recalled her fathers’ design of a community center that included a tiled wall. 

No matter how we define its gestation period, the project is growing quickly!

The Bench Project was conceived this year within the circle of planning the upcoming Alabama Clay Conference when Diane met Jennie.  The zygote of an idea landed among the Student Outreach Committee. Nourished by thoughts about collaboration between college students, public schools and the community, the project took shape.  Now, one bench,  several meetings, many emails, and 3 checks later….the Bench Project is…is….

If it isn’t born yet, we plan ahead. The Project will need a type of “Social Security Number” so that all benefactors will be able to find it and “invest” in its future.  It will need “godparents” named to look after it if something happens to its “biological parents”. It will need… everything that a “new business” has to succeed. Thank goodness for the combined talents of self-employed artists, business owners, engineers, and educators who will nurture the young thing to maturity.  Get ready Huntsville!