Functional public art

Art You Can Sit On

Idaho Falls Arts Council · Idaho Falls, Idaho, US

Representative organizer image for Art You Can Sit On
Representative organizer imageImage: idahofallsarts.org ↗

Documented selection route

Partner organizations selected designs submitted by area artists, with business and individual sponsorship.

Program history & cadence

Installations began in 2006; council reports continued additions, without a current deadline.

A documented program is not a current invitation to apply. Selection routes and program history reflect the linked dated sources. Confirm current availability, eligibility and application terms with the organizer.

Program context & project planning

How the program works

Functional sculpture is a partnership model

Art You Can Sit On brings together the arts council, downtown organization and city partners, with local businesses and individuals funding benches. The council describes more than 250 submitted designs and installations beginning in 2006. It is an established functional-art initiative, without a currently verified open intake.

Idaho Falls public art ↗ · Reviewed

Big Art Partners planning question

Who will sponsor the bench and approve its use as seating?

Verify the current location before planning

The arts council cautions that bench maps may not reflect works that have moved or been removed. A catalog entry is therefore a starting point for site research. A host or project team should confirm the actual location, condition and ownership before proposing a nearby installation.

Idaho Falls public art ↗ · Reviewed

Big Art Partners planning question

Has the city verified the bench's present location and condition?

A memorial bench had a private sponsor

A 2017 city account describes Ronda Friesen's Dances With Wolves as a family-funded memorial placed along the River Walk with Parks and Recreation and arts-council involvement. Its stump and four wolves were intended to invite family seating. The precedent combines a donor's memorial purpose with public use.

City memorial-bench announcement ↗ · Reviewed

Big Art Partners planning question

How will donor intent, public seating and maintenance responsibilities be documented?

View all documented programs and opportunity records from Idaho Falls Arts Council ↗

Sources & review dates