Portrait Chairs

The Portrait Chair at Freeman Centennial School is made from classic and popular books. An interior light projects through Plexiglas sheets sandwiched between the books. The seat of the chair is cut to expose a variety of print surface.

The Portrait Chair at the Olive B. Day Elementary School is made from children’s books sandwiched together so that the titles are still visible

The Portrait Chair at the Olive B. Day Elementary School is made from children’s books sandwiched together so that the titles are still visible

Proposal illustration of Portrait Chairs

  • Location: Library of Freeman Centennial School; Library of Olive B. Day School; Norfolk Town Library, Norfolk, MA (1997)
  • Client: The Arts Council, Norfolk, MA
  • Size: Approximately 5′ x 5′ x 4′
  • Materials: Books, steel, wood
  • Budget: $42,000 Funded by the NEA, LEF Foundation, and local businesses
  • Artist: Mags Harries
  • Photo Credits: Greg Heins
  • Material Donations: Little Brown Publishing, Boston Public Library, and others
  • Fabrication: Assisted by Scott Tiede, Mike Guzikowski

Seats of Honor

The three Portrait Chairs are set in three libraries (two of them schools) in the Town of Norfolk, MA. Made from remainder and donated books, they serve as seats of honor. The most avid readers from the libraries are celebrated by having their photograph taken in the Chairs. These images become part of growing portrait galleries surrounding the Chairs in their separate libraries. The Chairs help generate enthusiasm for reading and learning in people of all ages.

A Community Effort

The Portrait Chairs project was initiated by the Norfolk community and was realized only through the persistent advocacy by community members. The Norfolk Arts Council obtained design development funds from the LEF Foundation and then applied to the NEA in two successive years for matching funding. This process took 3 years.

Fiction Chair in use