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O'Fallon staff propose benches made from retired wind turbine blades to be painted by local artists
Summary
City staff presented a proposal to purchase composite benches built from retired wind turbine blades and to host an artist call to paint the bench at Heritage and Freedom Fest, with final placement proposed at the Veterans Walk. Staff said the bench would be purchased from the 2025 art-purchasing budget and carry a roughly 25-year warranty.
At the Oct. 23 workshop, staff presented a proposal to purchase an art bench made from retired wind turbine blades, to be painted by a local artist and showcased at the city's Heritage and Freedom Fest before installation along the Veterans Walk.
Presenter Jenna Bachhaus described the product and program: "They take retired wind turbine blades, and they recreate them into benches," she said. The benches are made of three- to five-inch-thick fiberglass mounted on aluminum frames with composite-lumber seating and stainless-steel components; presenter materials cited a 25-year warranty. The benches can be primed and delivered ready for an artist to paint both interior and exterior faces.
Staff said the purchase would come from the 2025 art purchasing budget and that the city would issue a call for artists; the Culture Arts Commission, the O'Fallon Convention & Visitor Bureau and the Veterans Commission would review candidate designs. The project team proposed painting the bench live at Heritage and Freedom Fest and later installing it at an available concrete pad in the Veterans Walk area.
Council discussion focused on design review and who should approve the final artwork. Council members said the Culture Arts Commission and the Veterans Commission should be central to design approval since the bench would be sited on veterans' property.
Next steps: staff will collaborate with commissions on call-to-artist language and a selection process and return with final placement details and cost information as design and procurement progress.
