The concept for a Bench Art Project for Downtown Abbotsford was launched in the spring of 1998. It promised to create for Historic Downtown Abbotsford, high quality publicly accessible art that would promote the city’s cultural image and enhance the everyday experience of citizens and visitors as they shop or participate in activities in the downtown core. It also bridges the design arts, fine arts and crafts.
Bench Art
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Strauss and Gallo Watching The Farm Bench
Norm Williams, the artist of Abbotsford's Unity Statue, transformed an antique rake, a valuable symbol of Abbotsford's roots and current livelihood, into bench art.
Location: Historic Downtown Abbotsford
Artist: Norm Williams
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Bench is dedicated to Doctors and Nurses at the Worthington for care and devotion; In memory of Nelson Ovila Foisy, Dec 9, 1938-Apr 2, 2006; Loving husband, father, brother and friend. “Live a good life, have fun and love your family and friends… wonderful memories are made of these.”
Location: Worthington Pavillion, Cottage Lane, 2179 McCallum Road
Artist: Josh & Jessica Meilinger of Eco-Logic Wood Design, 2006
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Bookworm
Inspired by the talent of North Popular School of Fine Arts students, this woodwork masterpiece boasts legs of stacked text books, a seat in the shape of an open book telling the story of North Popular School and their sponsors.
Location: Historic Downtown Abbotsford
Artist: unknown
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Three Men Telling Tales
A refining process using combined concrete and metal, similar to the one used by Disneyland, shaped these durable, life-sized characters of a farmer, a railway man, and a logger; segments of Abbotsford's economic history.
Location: Historic Downtown Abbotsford
Artist: Ukranian Born carver/artist, Vladimir Chved
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Expressions
This art piece depicts a painter's brilliant palette, complete with an easel dripping what appears to be wet paint, and a sleek squeezed silver paint tube serving as the base.
Location: Historic Downtown Abbotsford
Artist: unknown
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Honk Honk
This is a treasured replica of a 1940 or 50's truck, complete with real truck parts and a big goose as a driver - a tribute to one of Abbotsford's most industrious pioneering families, the Goslings.
Location: Historic Downtown Abbotsford
Artist: unknown
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Sto:lo Clan Bench
This lasting legacy of art, culture and history in our community, was created and carved by local Sto:lo Coast Salish artist Craig Ned and utilized the skills of brick layer Don MacBeth.
Location: Historic Downtown Abbotsford
Artist: Craig Ned & Don MacBeth, 2004
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The owners of the Valley Feed Bag wanted to expand the bench program outside Downtown Abbotsford and were impressed by Norm William’s work, the agricultural theme and medium of Straus & Gallo Watching The Farm and commissioned the Feed bag bench.
Location: Valley Feed Bag, 2604 Ware Street
Artist: Norm Williams, 2001
