Bench concepts reviewed in Hayden

The vision for a series of benches along Government Way in Hayden is beginning to take shape and color.

The Hayden Arts Commission met and reviewed concepts Wednesday for “Come Together” bench designs. Commissioners will select a concept to be created and installed in five locations along Government Way in Hayden.

“We did a call to artists and had them do submissions of designs that would reflect the city of Hayden,” said commission chair Lynn Frison.

The commission received five designs from three entrants and one from an artist who had submitted a bench concept before the invitation was published. All four artists will have an opportunity to formally present their design concepts in person at the next arts commission meeting at 3 p.m. May 3 at Hayden City Hall.

Hayden artist Thomas Brunner submitted a design featuring two encircled kokanee, with one fish making up the back and one fish making the seat of the bench. The fish would be swimming in opposite directions and coming together in the middle.

“I intend to shape and paint them as realistic as possible,” Brunner said. “The tail of each fish would blend into the head of the other.”

The bench would be a painted mortar and should last for years, similar to benches Brunner has previously installed in Sandpoint. The arts commission hopes to see strong color concepts in Brunner’s presentation, expounding on his original pencil-sketched concept.

Sagle artist Deborah Connor proposed two bench options, including a Western-style bench with Hayden written down the center, between two outlines of the state of Idaho.

Connor’s other concept, The Best Friends, incorporates two dogs, a lake and mountains. The legs of the bench would emulate a dog's legs, and the bench would have textures to resemble fur. Both concepts would be made of steel, bronze and epoxy paint.

Artist Marte Cellura submitted concepts with an art nouveau inspiration, one featuring Honeysuckle Sunrise and one a soaring Eagle.

Cellura describes his work as “a synthesis of the human heart, hand and energies … with the geometry of the natural world.”

His benches would be steel, aluminum, bronze and possibly a dalle de verre stained glass, though members of the commission voiced concern about the durability of a stained glass medium, and how it might stand up to vandalism. Cellura will have an opportunity to expound on the medium, or present alternatives in his presentation.

Presentations will be five minutes each, with up to 10 minutes for questions from the commission.

Commissioners could likely select an artist and concept or concepts to install along Government Way during the May meeting. Once a concept is selected, the arts commission will begin fundraising efforts to have the benches built and installed.

The deadline was March 31 for artists to submit bench designs and the bench budget is $5,000 each, installed. Benches must be comfortable, not overly intrusive, durable and Hayden-centric.

The commission also reserves the right to republish the invitation for design submissions if commission members can’t agree on a concept and artist with which to proceed to production.