Benches Add Visual Spice To State Street

A team of Fair Haven-based artists brought some color — and some comfort — to the Veterinary Wellness Center on State Street, with the addition of outdoor seating for the center’s waiting area that doubles as public art.

“We tried to help,” said artist Sarahi Zacatelco, who led the project, which took place Saturday.

By that she meant the people who came to the Wellness Center, who might have to wait with their animals for an appointment but not be able to do so inside, due to the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic

She said that when driving by the Wellness Center, she had noticed people standing around outside to give each other space. The benches would make the wait more comfortable.

She also intended that the project would help support the arts.

“I’m a local artist,” she said, and working on the benches ​“gives opportunity to other artists.” This included the other members of the team of four who helped create the benches: besides Zacatelco, the team was Joel Celi, Eamon Linehan, and Israel G. Sanchez. ​“This project, they pay me, I can pay local artists too. We all help each other.”

This was the second time the team of artists had made benches for a local business. The first bench project was for Evolution SD Hairstudio on Grand Avenue in Fair Haven, where Zacatelco grew up. The staff at Veterinary Wellness Center read the article that appeared in the Independent about that project and reached out to Zacatelco, asking if the team could make benches for their State Street business, too. Zacatelco said yes.

According to Zacatelco, the instructions from the Wellness Center regarding bench design were to ​“just do whatever you want. You’re the artist and I trust you.” So Zacaltelco went with a design that would bring some sparks to the State Street block. ​“The idea is color,” she said, ​“spicy Mexican.”

Linehan, who has a background in furniture construction and was on hand to document the other artists’ work, said the team built the benches from wood recycled from shipping pallets the team collected from businesses around town. ​“It takes a little bit of extra work, but it’s worth it,” he said. He estimated each bench took 40 to 50 hours of work. Before bringing the benches to State Street, the artists laid down the layers of colors and made the stencils of animal shapes that they could bring to the Wellness Center to finish the benches on site.

Finishing the painting of the benches in front of the building served a purpose — ​“to show people that we do art,” said Celi. ​“They can see us working” and possibly have their interest piqued in creating or facilitating more public art projects.

Celi noted with approval the rise in public murals in New Haven, from the murals under the overpasses in East Rock and Cedar Hill to the new murals on Orange Street to, most recently, the mural of Muhammad Ali on the side of Brick Oven Pizza on Howe and Elm.

But ​“a lot of spots in New Haven are empty, with no art,” he said. ​“We should have more.”

Zacatelco pointed out that more public art projects could support the arts scene during the pandemic. ​“We need more art and more help to local artists,” she said. ​“We need more opportunities.”

“I want to make more art on Grand Avenue,” she added, especially for the kids in the neighborhood. She wanted to show kids that ​“I can do it, and you can do it.”

Morgan and Lisa MacKay, who own the Wellness Center, came outside as Zacatelco was adding stenciled animals to one of the benches.

“They look great — beautiful!” Morgan said. ​“They give some color to the place.”

“That’s the point!” Zacatelco said.

“We’re happy to help the community and add a little color in a time when we need it,” Morgan said.

Lisa said that they were also ​“interested in doing something for the city” and happy to add ​“a little character” to the block. She noted that with the Cast Iron Chef Chop House and Oyster Bar nearby, and Nolo on the other side of the street, ​“it’s been really positive and we’ve had a lot of feedback.” Already, she said, people might drop their pets off for an appointment and get food from one of the nearby restaurants. She was hopeful that adding outdoor seating to the Wellness Center’s office would encourage more of that.

“I would like to see more and more places” get involved in public art projects, she said. ​“It’s all good for New Haven. Good for business, good for the city.”