Madison Artist Creates New Benches For B.B. Clarke Beach

One can feel the air of creativity when entering into the art studio where Erika Koivunen bends metal, welds it, and shapes it into wonderful designs.  When visiting her studio in Stoughton last week James and I first encountered large machines in the old foundry.  I admit I had no idea at first what purpose they served, or how they were used.  But knowing the end result of her work, I knew they must produce powerful noises as they aid in the production of art pieces that we have all come to know and love.  As we weaved our way around the machines, and followed the noise of work being done, we soon found Erika welding in the back of her studio.  Her project the afternoon of the visit was the creation of five new benches for the B.B. Clarke Beach in Madison.

Readers probably best know Koivunen when driving on the near east side and seeing the huge metal birds that dwarf’s any of the bikers on the path nearyby.  It is there that her mentor, Tom Every, along with Erika, made magic with metal.  Every is a well-known salvage artist, and Erika was his student in training. 

Soon Erika was making a name for herself, and it is because of her past work, and ties to the Isthmus, that when new benches were needed at B.B. Clarke Beach she was mentioned as the artist that should be hired.  The neighborhood wanted something special and unique for the park, instead of the cookie-cutter benches that otherwise would have replaced the aging benches from the 1950’s.  As the work unfolds from Erika’s imaginative mind through the welding torch, it is obvious that the city will be pleased with the results. 

Some of the money for the project came from two estates that wished to have special memorial benches placed at the beach.  The city will also be looking for three more donors that wish to buy a bench as a memorial.

 

The new benches will be installed by the city either later this year (weather permitting) or in time for spring 2009.   For those who stroll through B.B. Clarke, and sit for a while under the full trees, will find more comfortable and creative benches to enjoy.  For now, the benches are being welded and banged into shape by a highly skilled artist. One that Madison can proudly claim as our own!

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