Blog

Aug 17, 2023

Arts!Longview installs first art bench in Cultural District

Arts!Longview added another pop of color to downtown Monday when the Cultural District installed its first art bench. The sculptural bench, titled “Circlets Magnum Opus,” is located at the corner of

Arts!Longview added another pop of color to downtown Monday when the Cultural District installed its first art bench.

The sculptural bench, titled “Circlets Magnum Opus,” is located at the corner of Tyler and Fredonia Streets in front of the Sculpture Garden. It was designed by Holly Forbes of Longview and fabricated by Modisette Welding of Kilgore.

“We hope the community enjoys this beautiful new bench, which is both artistic and functional,” Executive Director Christina Cavazos said. “We hope this will be the first of many sculptural benches as we explore this new form of public art.”

Arts!Longview received state grant funding for the project from the Texas Commission on the Arts as part of its 2022-23 Cultural District Project grant.

The Cultural District issued a request for proposals, inviting artists to submit a design that reflected the arts community. A committee reviewed the proposals and designs, and selected Forbes’ “Circlets Magnum Opus” for the first bench.

“We received several wonderful proposals, but Holly’s design really had everything our committee was looking for. The bench is artistic, it’s functional, it’s colorful, it’s vibrant, it’s fun, it’s creative. It celebrates the arts and it’s the perfect addition to downtown,” Cavazos said.

Forbes said she was “thrilled” to have her design selected as the first sculpture bench in the district.

“The name ‘Circlets Magnum Opus’ is a very loose interpretation meaning 'Great Work of Circles' — it's just more 'artsy.' The concept represents an artist’s brush and palette, and varying sizes of abstract circles of color,” Forbes said. “As a graphic designer I could create the concept but needed the expertise of a professional welder to actually make the bench. Modisette Welding did a fantastic job taking my idea and engineering, building, and painting the bench. The bench is intended to be a happy and inviting spot that attracts people to come take a closer look.”

Arts!Longview worked with the City of Longview to replace an existing green bench downtown with the new art bench. Arts!Longview selected the corner of Tyler and Fredonia streets for the location because, Cavazos said, it is in the heart of the Cultural District and the Sculpture Garden serves as the hub of Arts!Longview’s quarterly ArtWalks. Cavazos encouraged the community to visit downtown and take photos with the new bench.