Summer Apprenticeship Program 2011: Trellised Bench

Each summer Artspace is faced with the task of finding artists and a group of high school students to work together in the spirit of collabora- tion. In just three short weeks this group gets to know each other, learns new art making skills, and completes an intricate installation in the Artspace Galleries and The Lot. The goal of this project is to provide new experiences for both the students and the artists and to create a work that becomes a proud part of the legacy of all those involved. it may sound like a daunting task, but each year, without fail, Artspace, the artists and a group of students pull of this Herculean task.

The purpose of this Summer Apprenticeship was to introduce New Haven Public High School students to the execution of a civic project through conceptual and practical lectures and workshops dealing with the design, fabrication, and installation of a series of Trellised Benches,a modular shaded seating and planter system for an urban gar- den. In keeping with contemporary environmental issues and the aesthetic of artist Alison Williams’ installation Homage to Guerilla Gardening, currently on view in Artspace’s public lot on Chapel Street, the Trellised Bench was constructed using discarded, repurposed, and recycled materials, all from the New Haven area.