Napa Benches
Title: Napa Benches
Year: 2015
Media: Steel, Vintage cast iron bookends, Wood, Epoxy paint
Size: 6’ x 5’ x 20” each
Location: First Street, Downtown Napa, CA
Client: City of Napa, CA
Napa Benches is a public art project that integrates historic cast-iron bookends that were decommissioned from the historic 1901 Goodman Library on First street in the heart of downtown Napa. The cast-iron shelving and bookends such as these were commonly found in early 20th-century Carnegie libraries. They were a vital component of the "open shelf" system, allowing patrons to browse books themselves, a revolutionary change from the previously used closed-stack, wood-shelved systems. The bookends are incorporated into the structure and overall design of the eight benches and two chairs, giving the bookends a new lease on life.