UPDATED, July 26: Chairful Where You Sit, a temporary outdoor-art installation at Whittemore Park in Arlington Center, received 50 chairs for its fifth season -- and sold 28.

Some chairs you can buy >>

Newly painted transformer box

The winning entries are to be published.

Many have had a seat and thought about how to reimagine chairs, as local artists and ordinary folk have done in years past for this exhibit and fund-raiser.

This year's event took place for three days, from Friday, July 22, to Sunday, July 24.

Chairs were purchased by the public to help support Arlington Public Art's programs and events.

To see images from last year, visit www.chairful.blogspot.com as well as at YourArlington.com.

All chairs were available for purchase by the public for a donation of $100 and support Arlington Public Art's programs.

Artists could request 50 percent off the purchase price or may donate the full sale amount to APA.

The chairs exhibit was held Saturday, July 23, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Arts collaboration heats up

From 5 to 7 p.m. July 23, the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum and Chairful Where You Sit collaborated to host a free concert to Arlington Center amid temperatures in the high 90s. The acoustic Creek River String Band performed from 5 to 7 p.m. under a tent in Whittemore Park.

The upbeat music drew new attendees to Chairful and the museum, as well as entertained a returning audience for this summer favorite arts event. A brief but furious wind and rain storm interrupted the concert, and dozens of people fled for cover inside the museum. The storm was short lived, and soon the band was back at it.

Creek River is a six-piece acoustic band, featuring guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, accordion and bass with three voices balancing out the strings and bellows. The band delivers an energetic and eclectic mix of bluegrass, country, folk, old-time, Tex-Mex, Celtic, blues and rock–something for everyone.
The "Picnic in the Park" concert was supported in part by a grant from the Arlington Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. The Dallin Museum and Arlington Public Art also contributed financially to the event. Popcorn was donated by the Capital Theater and Menotomy Beer & Wine donated ice for the cold drinks.

Dallin Museum picnic in the park featuring the Creek River String Band from 5 to 7 p.m. Brief wind and rain interrupted the performace, but they returned to play on.

The closing reception and awards were held Sunday, July 24, at 4 to 6 p.m.

Entrants were:

Karyn Alzayer

Tanya Amato

Paul Aquilino

Christine Aqilino

Adria Arch

David Ardito

Marco Athie

Laurinda Bedingfield

Ella Bengtson

Lissa Cramer

Joseph and Sierra Curro

Christine Davis

Sue Doctrow

Jonathan Donahue

Kevin Duffy

Jennifer Edmunds

Jennifer Fuchel

Margaret Gillis

Amy Goldstein

Willow Hearth

Peter Howard

Maureen Igoe

Johnny Lapham

Wally Mabey

Jill Manca

Mona Mandal

Mary Marino

Victoria Marino

Stephanie, Emma and Anika Marlin-Curiel

Barbara McCauley

Madeleine McClure

Cynthia Mesh

Adrita Mukherji

Claire Odom

Lee Paradis

Judson Pierce

Meghann Remick

Tess and Steve Reynolds

Dhara Salva

Pam Shanley

Janet Smith

Lily Spoelhof

Betty Stone

Carolyn Taylor

Mary Vigneau

Deborah Wachenheim and Stella Wong

Partner organizations

Chairful Where You Sit has become a beloved town tradition and enthusiastic artists, volunteers and customers, as well as partnering organizations, help make it possible.

Local businesses, including Za, Menotomy Grill, Artwear, Luv and Artbeat, have donated gift certificates and other prizes to be presented at the closing reception to artists winning the "People's Choice Awards" for their chairs.

This year, Arlington Dog Owners Group (A-DOG), a local nonprofit community organization, is supporting the event in part by sponsoring an additional award, for an animal-themed chair. Local businesses and community groups are welcome to contact the organizers if you, too, would like to donate an award or otherwise support Chairful, 2016.

Chairful Where You Sit was founded by Arlington artist and APA member Adria Arch who organized the event for its first four years. This year, Arch handed over the reins to a committee of several volunteers, all of whom have participated in Chairful over the years and wanted to help it continue.

These committee members are Pinal Maniar, Mona Mandal, Amy Goldstein, Louise Dinsmore and Sue Doctrow. Arch remains involved, as a key adviser to the committee.

July 24, 2015: Fourth Chairful Where You Sit raises about $4,000

July 21, 2014: $9,000 raised

Aug. 1, 2013: More than $5,000 raised

Aug. 13, 2012: More than $2,600 raised

This announcement was published Wednesday, June 1, 2016, and updated July 26, to add the arts collaboration.