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BenchWalk
WELCOME TO THE BENCHWALK HOMEPAGE!
As a celebration of art and public space, the Northampton Mayor’s Youth Commission is heading a collaborative art project with the support of local businesses to sponsor artists and local schools to paint the benches of downtown Northampton.
Project Summary
BenchWalk is an opportunity to celebrate the visual arts and the downtown area of Northampton. There will be a total of 15 benches painted.
Artists will submit proposals for bench designs.
The artists will have a period in late May to paint the benches on-site in downtown Northampton. At the end of the week, there will be an unveiling ceremony during which the benches will be presented and people will have an opportunity to admire the artwork.
The unveiling ceremony will tentatively happen on Friday, June 12th at 5:00PM, the same evening as Arts Night Out.
There will be a brief speech from Mayor Narkewicz and the Mayor’s Youth Commission, followed by a ribbon cutting at the bench in front of City Hall.
Maps will be available detailing the location of all the benches, the respective artists, and the different sponsors for BenchWalk. Following the event, there will be a reception for all donors and artists.
(APPLICATION DEADLINE HAS PASSED)
ARTISTS
Would you like to be a part of this project? Submit your application today.
'CALL TO ARTISTS' PACKET (PDF)
Your submission must include:
Photographs of 7-10 pieces of your past work, (or a link to an online portfolio/website).
A written explanation, no longer than 200 words that discusses your idea for a bench design.
A completed personal information form.
Please, be cognisant that the benches have slats and there will be some constraints on the drying times due to the types of paints being used. There will be more specifics provided to the winning artists.
Deadline
All materials must be submitted by Friday, May 22nd for consideration by the artists’ review board. Please submit your proposal by emailing the BenchWalk Program, or by completing it on the BenchWalk website by using the online application. If pictures of your work will not send via email, or will not upload to the BenchWalk website, please send them to the Bench Walk dropbox account at BenchWalk Dropbox Account.
If you are experiencing any difficulties or need a different format of the documents, please email email us
DONORS
Our goal is to fund this project through donations from local Northampton businesses, organizations, and residents. We will need donations in order to finance payments and supplies for artists and promotional material for the event. Based upon the different donation levels, a business will have several opportunities for promotional recognition (see below). All donations to the Northampton Mayor’s Youth Commission will be tax deductible.
We need your help to make this project possible. Donate by clicking on the link below.
or
Fill out a bank check addressed to the Northampton Mayor’s Youth Commission for BenchWalk 2015.
or
Support BenchWalk through In-Kind Donations (see below)
In-Kind Donations
If you are interested in donating one or more of the following materials, please send an email to nohobenchwalk@gmail.com.
Material(s) for in-kind donations:
1) ~65 t-shirts for BenchWalk
Donors will not sponsor a specific bench and donors’ names will not be on the plaques on each bench. Rather, recognition will be given in a variety of different ways as outlined below.
Primary Colors Donor Levels (Donation Deadline is June 10th)
Cyan Donor: $1,000.00 and up
-Featured with logo and/or text on three 8 x 2 foot BenchWalk 2015 signs in central downtown Northampton locations (if donated prior to June 1st)
-Honorable mention during the unveiling speech with Mayor Narkewicz and the Mayor’s Youth Commission.
-Mentioned in all press releases and interviews.
-Featured with logo and/or text on social media outreach.
-Featured with logo and/or text on the event map.
-Featured with logo and/or text on the official BenchWalk website.
-Featured with logo and/or text on any BenchWalk memorabilia
-Featured with logo and/or text on the poster of donors at the BenchWalk booth.
-Invitation to the BenchWalk reception following the event.
Magenta Donors: $500.00 to $999.99
-Honorable mention during the unveiling speech with Mayor Narkewicz and the Mayor’s Youth Commission.
-Featured with logo or text on social media outreach.
-Featured with logo or text on the event map.
-Featured with logo or text on the official BenchWalk website.
-Featured with logo or text on the poster of donors at the BenchWalk booth.
-Invitation to the BenchWalk reception following the event.
-Featured with logo and/or text on any BenchWalk memorabilia
Yellow Donors: $250.00 to $499.99
-Honorable mention during the unveiling speech.
-Featured with text on the event map.
-Featured with text on the official BenchWalk website.
-Featured with text on the poster of donors at the BenchWalk booth.
-Invitation to the BenchWalk reception following the event.
-Featured with logo and/or text on any BenchWalk memorabilia
Thank you for considering supporting our event! Donations will provide your business with promotional recognition and help bring more public art to the Northampton community.
Sincerely,
Northampton Mayor’s Youth Commission
FAQs
Q: Where exactly is BenchWalk taking place?
A: All through the downtown streets of Northampton! There is no specified route; viewers can visit each bench as they please. The bench maps will be available for the public within the coming weeks.
Q: Can I donate less than $100?
A: Yes, we accept donations of any amount from anyone. Visit our Donors page to learn more about donating to BenchWalk.
Q: What types of paint are used on the benches and will they transfer to clothing upon contact?
A: The paint being used on the benches is Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Ultra Cover Premium Latex Paint. Additionally, there will be a coating of Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Gloss Clear General Purpose Paint on top of the latex paint. Neither of these paints are extremely dangerous nor toxic, and they will not transfer to clothing when dry.
Q: Is BenchWalk a reoccurring or one-time event?
A: Since BenchWalk is in its first year, we want to ensure everything runs smoothly before guaranteeing its return. That being said, the benches are fairly easy to repaint, and it could become an annual project.
Q: Where did the idea for BenchWalk originate?
A: The "art-bench" is actually a recycled idea from the 2005 Youth Commission. Their vision was not exactly the same as ours, but the projects share a similar groundwork.
Q: What is the Northampton Mayors Youth Commission?
A: The Northampton Youth Commission serves to create a means of communication between city leaders and young people in Northampton. The Northampton Youth Commission is a group of people between the ages of 13 - 18 who are interested in working to improve the lives of young people in the community by discussing issues of concern and working to provide solutions. We are always open to new ideas and suggestions to involve youth in the community.
Still can't find the answer you are looking for? Email us at nohobenchwalk@gmail.com and we will try to answer your questions as soon as possible.
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Cyan Donor ($1,000) - Smith College
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Cyan Donor ($1,000) - Hotel Northampton
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Cyan Donor ($1,000) - Northampton Community Television
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Yellow Donor ($273.44 in materials) - Foster Farrar
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Yellow Donor ($250) - Goggins Real Estate
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Yellow Donor ($250) - GoBerry
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Yellow Donor ($250) - Florence Bank
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"Smith College Museum of Art is pleased to support BenchWalk 2015, a project of the Northampton Mayor's Youth Commission."
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KEY Donor ($100) - Thornes Marketplace