Concrete walnut bench grouping in the city of Davis, CA. Whimsical public art sculpture design that honors native flora. This concrete bench sculpture sits underneath a native walnut tree. This grouping of concrete sculpture bench seats is installed along a bicycle path in the city of Davis, CA.
I visited this location in Spring of 2022 to take photos after the landscaping had matured around the walnut sculptures. Here is a video of my little art dog modeling on the walnuts. The California poppies were in full bloom.
Story – I created these public art concrete sculptures in the summer of 2014. They were part of the Community Built Art Association’s (CBA) biannual conference mentoring bootcamp. We had a design competition and my trio of walnuts was one of the 4 sculpture benches chosen to be built.
Public Art Design Process – In 2014 I was part of a group of artists asked to design public art sculpture seating (benches) that would be installed along a bicycle path leading to the UC Davis Arboretum. The 4 sculpture sites were described to us, including the plants nearby. The bicycle path runs by a creek and has many trees and plants on either side, quite lovely. One of the sites was under a California native walnut tree. This immediately inspired me to think of walnuts falling from the tree and landing on the ground. So my model for the design was three little walnuts created from clay, to be created large enough to sit on – 18″-21″ high. I am often inspired by nature, so this was a natural fit for the way I intuitively do design. I also like whimsical design, art work that is playful, beautiful, and brings joy.
Gratitudes – Tom Arie Donch, a concrete whisperer if there ever was one, mentored me in the technical aspects of creating the concrete sculptures. Production & installation assistance by Siram, and Marjo Eli Hughes. Installation assistance by members Tom Arie Donch, volunteers from the UC Davis arboretum, and Wes Horn.
