Waterfall Arts and Our Town Belfast joined forces this year to bring a new edition of Eco-Motion street sculptures to the sidewalks and parks of Belfast. This summer’s theme, “Please, Be Seated!” brought over eighteen new seating structures that are now installed throughout the city walkways and three downtown parks. Creative individuals crafted unique and fun seats like a lobster buoy bench, a carved apple tree, a human and wind powered weathervane seat, a fairy throne, a wonderfully whimsical frog chair and more. Maps listing all the “Please be seated” installations are available at the Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce, Waterfall Arts, and downtown merchants. Visitors are challenged to use the maps to complete the Puzzle Piece Hunt shown on the map’s reverse side.

The Eco-Motion Street Sculpture Project, in its third year under Waterfall Arts’ umbrella, evolved from the popular Belfast Bear Fest, to bird houses, street art and then to Co-Motion installations from 2000 to 2008. Supported by funding from the City of Belfast, local citizens, artists, businesses and other grantors over the years, the street sculptures provide a unique identity for Belfast, and a way to attract people to the downtown while encouraging them to spend time walking, shopping, relaxing, reading, daydreaming, watching the tide roll in and out or simply observing the world go by. This year ten of the new seats have “Please Be Seated” Braille signage, thanks to the generosity of the offices of Dr. Lyndon Morgan. Handicapped accessibility and ADA information is of particular importance to the merchants, administration and citizens of Belfast.

The seat structures will be in place until early September, when they will be sold at a public auction, if they have not had a buyer commit to a minimum bid. Prices and auction information will be announced on the www.belfastecomotion.org website by the end of July.

Supporting organization Waterfall Arts, dedicated to creating community in harmony with nature through the transformative power of the arts is located at 256 High Street in Belfast. Our Town Belfast is a vibrant and inclusive social, arts and cultural effort that initiates and supports community and creative sustainability in downtown Belfast. OTB offices are located at 171 High St., Suite 6, Belfast. For more information please visit www.ourtownbelfast.org.