Street Seats: Sculptural Benches in Stamford

In the summer of 2014, Stamford Downtown’s Art in Public Spaces program rolled out “Street Seats”, a free, citywide exhibition showcasing 30 sculptural benches designed by artists from across the region. From June through September, each whimsical seat—ranging from sleek modern forms to organic, undulating shapes—was installed at parks, plazas, and retail nodes along Atlantic, Bedford, Broad, Main, and Washington boulevards. The project invited passersby to sit, linger, and discover art in unexpected corners of the city, transforming ordinary street furniture into vibrant landmarks of community engagement.

Each bench was sponsored by a local business or nonprofit, and after the season concluded, the works were collected, refurbished, and auctioned to benefit the Stamford Arts Foundation and neighborhood youth programs. Among the crowd-pleasers were Maria Rossi’s tidal-wave “Urban Tide”, Thomas Lee’s color-burst “Rainbow Rest”, Jessica Nguyen’s leafy “Green Canopy”, and Rafael Martinez’s pop-art “Perch & Pop”. Jay Crane contributed two standout pieces: “Koi”, its curved seat awash in swirling indigo “water” and studded with shimmering orange-and-white koi that seem to swim beneath your fingertips; and “Starry Bench”, a deep-navy perch painted with luminescent pinpoints of light tracing constellations across its backrest. Together, these works underscored Stamford’s commitment to enlivening public space through playful, functional art.