Local Specials
(2009-07-20)
Alaina Eaton stands by her bench
They can be as obvious as a watercolor painting or a marble statue. They can be as subtle as a group of fluffy white clouds or a reflection in a crystal clear blue lake.
For someone in Burlington, a work of art could be right under their own backside, thanks to the County Seat project. The project is just the start of an art movement in the downtown district.
Alaina Eaton of Burlington put all of her emotions into painting her metal-framed street bench. "I had a couple of moments while I was working on it," she says, "that I broke down. My aunt had to come down and get me on track." Eaton says, "I finished it that same day and I am really proud of it."
Eaton, an art student at Iowa Wesleyan College, is one of the local artists who took part in Burlington's "County Seat" project. The artists worked on their own or as a team to design and paint a street bench.
Ten benches have been installed throughout the 200 block of Jefferson Street, in front of the Burlington Public Library, and at the Port of Burlington.
Eaton's bench is a tribute to her uncle who passed away several years ago from cancer. Eaton and her older sister spent a lot of time with her uncle on the Mississippi River.
Her bench showed the front of a canoe, floating down the river, facing an orange and red sky. Eaton also added a couple of lines from her uncle's favorite song to the bench, which took about 40 hours to complete.
Florence Paterno says the benches will give downtown Burlington a fresh, new look. "They are all different," she says, "and each one of them is so spectacular. I am so pleased and so proud and everything just sparkles."
Paterno chairs the design committee for Downtown Partners Inc., an organization working to revitalize and preserve downtown Burlington. She says the "County Seat" project has been in the works since 2007 as a way to bring some fun and excitement to the district.
Paterno says the wait is worth it, as the county seat project appears to be just the start of a cultural shift in downtown Burlington.
Ann Distelhorst is the executive director of the Art Guild of Burlington. The organization is moving its headquarters from the Arts for Living Center on Washington Street to the 300 block of Jefferson Street.
Distelhorst says the new location will give provide the organization with about 5,000 square feet of public display space, several offices, and plenty of storage in the basement. She says accessibility is one of the Jefferson Street property's best assets.
The Art Guild's previous home, the Arts for Living Center, was difficult for some residents to access, given a large flight of steps to the front door. The new building also has bright, white lighting extremely high ceilings and plenty of wall space for art guild members to utilize.
Florence Paterno with Downtown Partners Inc. says the new location is also important, given its proximity to the Burlington Public Library and the Capitol Theater. "We were just so pleased when the art group decided to buy this building," she says, "because it will be a great tie in with the Capitol Theater to create a cultural center. It will bring a lot of activity, creativity, ideas, and 'hustle-bustle."
Paterno hopes the Art Guild of Burlington's decision to move to the 300 block of Jefferson Street will also lead to more creativity in the downtown district. Alaina Eaton, who designed one of the "County Seat" benches, believes that will happen.
There is still some work to do at the Art Guild of Burlington's new home. Once complete, visitors to downtown Burlington will find it much easier to experience a wide variety of local artwork.
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