Art Benches

WRITTEN BY ROSENBERG ARTS ALLIANCE PHOTGRAPHY BY BAC PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN

Art, at its truest, most basic form, is about evoking emotion, thought, and conversation. It is about telling a story in a poignant way, or encouraging the viewer to find new perspective.

While some seek out a creative outlet all on their own, others are not so quick to do so. The Rosenberg Arts Alliance (RAA) is a non-profit organization committed to growing the arts community in Rosenberg and spreading the benefits of creative freedom and expression to those who may not normally seek it out themselves.

In 2015 the Rosenberg Arts Alliance engaged in a public art campaign. Businesses and citizens were encouraged to purchase benches and commission artists to turn the benches into public art. The group’s mission is to fill the streets of downtown Rosenberg with benches reflecting different styles, backgrounds, and points of view. The RAA aggressively sought out funding support, and was awarded a $2,250 grant from the Anice Read Fund for Communities Foundation through the Texas Downtown Association.

The city of Rosenberg’s story is already being displayed across sixteen benches. These functional art forms have started numerous conversations, and continue to draw people in with their compelling artistry and perspective.

Janice Vyoral, longtime business owner in downtown Rosenberg, chose an artist for her bench that she knew well—her son Dustin. The bench, which sits on 2nd and G street near Vyoral’s office, is a depiction of the Kansas City Southern (KCS) railroad and its impact on Rosenberg. This piece is personal for Dustin, as he works as a conductor for KCS. Connections like this are organic, and result in art that is authentic and rich in meaning. “Rosenberg was founded because of the railroad, and 150 years later, my son works for one of the same railroads that helped found the city of Rosenberg. I wanted the bench I donated to tell that story,” noted Vyoral.

The Rosenberg Historians, a group of Rosenberg citizens who enjoy learning and cultivating the city’s rich history, have worked for over a year producing a book detailing the history of the city. Using some of the book’s proceeds, the group purchased a bench and dedicated it to the long-standing history of the city they love.

Conversely, a bench, not far from the Historian’s piece, was commissioned by Brandon Campbell, a local photographer who only recently relocated to the area. He does not have years of history or connection to the community, yet he reflects the “new” Rosenberg. As someone with no historical ties to the community he finds the same acceptance as those who have been here for many years.

Not long after Brandon and his family moved to the area from out of state, his father became very ill and eventually passed away in Indiana, where Brandon is from. Brandon’s family and history is in Indiana, however, in downtown Rosenberg sits a bench commissioned by Brandon dedicated to his father. The bench honors his father’s military service and love of our country, something Brandon always respected about his father.

“As a photographer, I am an artist, and so it was a natural fit for me to honor my father through art,” said Campbell. “It gives me great joy and fulfillment to know a piece of my father is here with us in our new home. This is something I can share with my baby daughter, who he did not get to meet.”

Nick Maresh installs an Art Bench

One bench, which sits at the corner of Third Street and Avenue H, tells a very different story. The RAA used some of the funds from the Anice Read grant to dedicate their own benches, three in total. The eclectic bench, bedazzled with glass beads and a large pocket watch, shares the story of change and the movement of time. It focuses on change and growth, something this 150-yearold community is embracing.

“I have lived all of my life in Rosenberg,” smiled Butler. “For the last 12 years I have owned a business in the downtown area. I understand its history, and respect it, but I also see the change. All the new people, ideas, and commerce that have found Rosenberg excite me. That’s what we wanted this bench to reflect.”

The art benches tell the story of Rosenberg in an authentic, tangible way—the story of history and the story of change. v