BDA’s HAVE A SEAT Adirondack Chair Program began in 2022. It was such a success that BDA decided to continue the “Have A Seat” campaign for one final year. The program was created to “bring a spark of joy to Downtown Brunswick”. The whimsical chairs create an inviting atmosphere that invites visitors, shoppers, families, local workers, and others to stop, sit and smile and “have a seat.”!
Once again, thirty-one unfinished Maine made Adirondack chairs were purchased from the Maine State Prison Showroom in Thomaston where the chairs were expertly crafted by inmates at the prison.
Once painted and sealed, the chairs will be placed downtown from late May to early September. They will be secured and placed in pairs. Additionally, a large tag will be affixed to each chair and will include the sponsor logo, artist information and QR code with a link to more information.
Last year, finding the time and talent to prep, paint, and seal the chairs posed a challenge for some sponsors, but this year, BDA was fortunate to partner with Bowdoin College’s Joseph McKeen Center for the Common Good to secure the help of several Bowdoin students who volunteered to support this community effort to brighten up the downtown. The McKeen Center provides opportunities for students to discover the ways in which their talents, passions, and academic pursuits can be used for the benefit of society through public engagement.
Bowdoin College senior Peyton Tran, a McKeen Center Special Projects Assistant, recruited more than ten student volunteers who took time out of their busy April schedules to design and paint seven chairs for some of the local business sponsors. The chairs shown on this page were painted by the students.
The chairs will be auctioned in September at BDA’s “HAVE A SEAT” Adirondack Chair Auction! Visit the BDA Have A Seat Chair Auction website in mid June for more details, photos of completed chairs, artist bios, chair sponsors.
