Schools

Artistic Seats Take Front Seat via Students

Rockwood School District and St. Louis Community College-Wildwood students, along with those from other local schools, create huge chair-themed public art project for June 2. Video accompanying this article explains origin of Chesterfield-style chairs.

students got the opportunity to showcase their artistic talents by participating in the Take a Seat Public Art project with Chesterfield Arts.

With the guidance of art teachers, students at , Ballwin Elementary, Chesterfield Elementary, , Green Trails Elementary, , Ridge Meadows Elementary, Uthoff Valley Elementary, Rockwood South Middle and are joining 13 other local schools (22 total) from the area as they design a life-sized fiberglass-formed “Chesterfield chair"—a high-back style of chairs made famous by classic British upholstery techniques. 

The Chesterfield seating design dates back to the British club chair popular in London men's clubs in the 19th century. Men went the clubs to relax in padded chairs and to drink and smoke cigars. A Chesterfield, or club chair, has a very thick padded seat as well as all-over padding for comfort.

Find out what's happening in Eureka-Wildwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

More than 1,000 students, ranging from kindergarten through college, will contribute to this one-of-a-kind art design. Artists from the also are participating.

Linda Sachs, art teacher at Ridge Meadows, described the project as a wonderful opportunity for students in a Rockwood announcement: "Students were engaged in every aspect of the chair; from designing, drawing, outlining and painting, the students enjoyed creating a piece of art for the community to enjoy.” 

On June 2, the artwork will be unveiled at the Chesterfield Amphitheatre between 6 p.m. to 8 p.m, with a free concert immediately afterward.

The following sponsors have helped with the project by supporting various school groups:

Find out what's happening in Eureka-Wildwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Chesterfield Jewelers - Barat Academy
Commerce Bank
- Parkway West High School
Logan College of Chiropractic - Green Trails Elementary School
Maryville University - Parkway South High School
Paragon Restoration - Chesterfield Elementary School
PNC Bank (Clarkson) - Highcroft Elementary School
- Babler Elementary School
Ritter Berkeley Consulting Engineers - Ridge Meadows Elementary School
Sam's Club (Chesterfield) - Christian Brothers College High School
Sano & Company - Parkway Central Middle School
St. Louis County Library, Sachs Branch - St. Louis Community College - Wildwood
UMB Bank - Ballwin Elementary School and Eureka Elementary School
Waterway Carwash - Visitation Academy


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Eureka-Wildwood