BENCHES ON PARADE
OnCell-it!
Benches on Parade recently partnered with OnCell, a market-leading service that provides informational audio and video content to a visitor’s cell phone or mobile device. The audio and video content creates a cell phone interpretive experience that can be accessed at the visitor’s own time and pace.
What does this partnership mean for Benches on Parade? Bench visitors are in for a real treat with this added feature. Call the number located on the sponsor plaque of each bench and learn about the bench’s history and creation. Additionally, the tour will clue you in to the next bench on the parade.
It is one of the new ways Benches on Parade is reaching its many audiences, by providing a new ways visitor can get information they need, when they want it.
Jackie Sullivan
I painted the bench sponsored by Harris RF Communications. I'm also wrapping up a long term substitute teacher job at Victor's Early Childhood Education Center where I have been teaching art for kindergarten and first grade. I thought the benches were the perfect community art project to share with my students and they have had a wonderful time learning about the benches. Students have been going out with their families to look for benches and have been bringing in photos to hang on the classroom door.
The kindergarten students have also had their own Benches On Parade display here at the Early Childhood Education Center. They have all been decorating and designing their own benches on paper and we've been lining the hallways with them - at one point we had more than double the amount of real Benches On Parade on display! I recently took the artwork down so that the students can take them home (tomorrow is their last day of school). However, above are some photos of their work.
Enjoy! The students have certainly enjoyed learning about the Benches On Parade.
The Moments of the Lilac Festival
Benches on Parade had a fantastic weekend and we hope you did too.
We were apart of the Lilac Festival and Parade. How cool, Benches on Parade participating in a parade! Five of the unique Kodak smile benches floated down South and Highland Avenues as parade- on lookers cheered us on and waved to the Kodak families adorning the benches.
After the parade the team unloaded the float benches and added them to the other five on the corner of Highland and Goodman, the ten benches together created America’s largest smile- 60 feet long. For the rest of the day, the Benches on Parade team captured festival-goers Kodak moments on the benches and learned what makes Rochester smile.
Most people were at the festival to enjoy the weather, eat festival food and look at local arts and crafts; however there were many others there for non-traditional reasons. We heard stories of love, loss, honor and laughter. We captured people in the moment, not just at a festival. The contest photos taken this weekend will be up at www.kodakmoments.com/benches tomorrow, in the meantime go out and take a photo on a bench and share your moment with us!
What Makes You Smile?
Come see the unique Kodak smile benches in America's Largest Smile-60 feet long- at the Lilac Festival on the corner of Goodman & Highland, next to the Pansy Garden.
We want to know what makes you smile Rochester. Visit us at the festival to participate in the What Makes You Smile? contest and start uploading your photos and videos at www.kodakmoments.com/benches.
Share your moments with us...we can't wait to hear your funniest moments, proudest moments, best kids moments, friends and family moments and sports moments.
See you at the festival and remember take a seat, smile and share!
The V.I.P Preview Party
Monday's VIP Preview Party for Benches on Parade was a complete success. It was amazing to see all of the different benches.
If you remember, when the benches arrived in October 2009 they were stark white, and while business leaders and community members were excited about them, they were also nervous of the unexpected. Seeing guests', sponsors' and artists' faces throughout the night light up, as they walked the indoor sidewalk to view the 117 finished benches, was so special.
The chatter of the night did not focus on one or even two benches, but more the variety of creativity that was in the room. No two benches looked alike and everyone was thrilled to see the different directions each artist took with constructing, painting, and crafting the benches.
The benches will be on parade from May 12-September 2010. Go out and see all of the creativity we have here in Rochester and take a seat, take a picture and make sure you share it with everyone!
From Miami to Rochester
In August 2009, Benches on Parade announced internationally renowned artist, Romero Britto's participation in Benches on Parade. Britto created three benches, and now they are on their way from Miami, F.L. to Rochester, N.Y. to be photographed for the Benches on Parade book. Britto's interest in the project stems from his time spent on in the Finger Lakes region on Keuka Lake.
Britto creates a completely new expression that reflects his optimistic faith in the world around him. Alluding to influences of early and modern masters, Britto's pulsating colors, pop themes and commanding compositions have led him to become the premier contemporary artist of his generation.
Growing up with eight brothers and sisters in Recife, Brazil, Britto lived an extremely modest lifestyle. His canvas was any scrap of newspaper or cardboard he could find. Today, you can find Britto's work in galleries and museums across five continents, from Singapore to Dubai to London and New York.
We can't wait to share his finished benches with the community! For more information on Romero Britto visit www.britto.com.
The Beatles & Edgar Allen Poe in Mosaic
As part of Benches on Parade, 60 students from East High School are designing and creating benches bought by Arena’s Florist, Inc. and Mann’s Jewelers. Under the direction of local artist and art teacher, Elizabeth Lyons, the students are learning how to work with tile and glass to create mosaic benches.
Recently, the students met with their “clients,’ Charles Arena and Nancy Mann for the first time. Charles and Nancy brought in breakfast for the students, while the students continued to work and talk about their work.
Both of the benches are designed after a theme: Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds, for Mann’s Jewelers and The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe, for Arena’s.
This is the first time the students have worked in this medium and as their teacher put it, “they are doing really well and learning so much. It has been a great project and is involving the students in their community in a completely unique way.”
The foundation of our community
Recently, the Greater Canandaigua YMCA brought in artist, Jane Alden, to work with some children from the YMCA and to put the finishing touches on the YMCA bench for Benches On Parade.
The bench is centered on the YMCA’s mission to build strong kids, strong families and strong communities. Alden's beautiful and detailed design exemplifies the YMCA and she brought the bench back to the teen center for the finishing touch.
Under Alden's direction, the children brainstormed words that came to mind when they think of building strong families and communities. After the brainstorm, children dipped their hands into green paint to create “grass,” around the painted trees, the foundation for the bench. Alden will take the results of the brainstorm and weave the children’s words throughout their handprints.
See the Greater Canandaigua YMCA’s bench this summer while it is on parade!
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