UW-Madison’s Tom Loeser, a professor with the School of Education’s Art Department, recently created an artistic seating area for the new Pinney Library in Madison.
According to a news release from the Madison Public Library Foundation (MPLF), the seating area “was constructed from ash trees decimated by the emerald ash borer infestation.” Funded by a $12,000 grant from the Madison Community Foundation (MCF), the project, “Pair of Perches for Pinney People Pondering,” is an offshoot of the MCF Phoenix from the Ashes project, which works to reclaim ash trees affected by the emerald ash borer.
“I was invited to participate and came up with the idea of seeing if Pinney would be interested in having seating,” Loeser says about his involvement with Phoenix from the Ashes. “Lots of back and forth, and eventually, it all worked out brilliantly.”
Assisting him at every stage of the project was student Jordan Pascoe, according to the MPLF news release. Pascoe is a graduate student with the Art Department’s master of fine arts program.
Loeser, who has led the Art Department’s wood/furniture area since 1991, has also created seating for the Madison Central Library, working with willow furniture maker Dave Chapman to construct three large willow and steel pod forms, which are permanently installed reading retreats in the children’s section.
Read more about the new Pinney Library and Loeser’s work here.