Who says public art can’t be functional? Not Cassius Castings, a California concrete company by artist Thomas Musca that designs custom s eating to be both beautiful and useful. The Chandler Center for the Arts recently commissioned Cassius Castings to create its latest public art project for visitors: 10 custom benches, designed to pay homage to the Center, the City and the State of Arizona.
The "Chandler Bench" is a one-of-a-kind design, which was developed by making adjustments to one of the company’s signature bench designs. The design of the benches, which were installed at the Chandler Center for the Arts in May, were designed to invoke the architectural lines located throughout the CCA, as well as the lines of the mountains in the City of Chandler logo, the rising desert sun, and the flag of Arizona.
“These benches replace benches made by Chandler-based artists that were recently relocated to Sunset and Hamilton libraries, where they will continue to get used, and will be less likely to get damaged,” said Peter Bugg, Chandler’s Visual Arts Coordinator. “The Chandler Bench is a perfect fit for the center, and will provide visitors a stylish place to rest before or after shows.”
About the Chandler Bench
The Chandler Bench, a reimaged design on Cassius Castings’ “X-Tendo” bench design is 17 inches high, 18 inches wide and 72 inches long.
The benches are handmade, cast from 12,000 psi glass fiber reinforced concrete. Each bench is sanded down and coated with a waterproof urethane barrier to create a smooth-as-porcelain surface that is gentle to the touch.
The benches are strong. They are impact-resistant and capable of supporting over 2500 lbs of weight, a sledgehammer strike, and a five-foot drop test. The urethane concrete is resistant to graffiti, which can be easily washed off if ever necessary, and they are capable of standing up to adolescent skateboarders (a must at a facility located next to a high school), as well as the intense Sonoran sun.
Check Out the Chandler Bench and Other Public Art
The benches are now installed at the Chandler Center for the Arts and can be seen when walking along the terrace and around the CCA.
Since 1983, the Chandler Arts Commission has administered the city's Art in Public Places Program, commissioning and purchasing unique works of art for the enjoyment of Chandler residents and visitors. Take the Interactive Art Tour to see highlights of pieces in the Chandler collection.