Adirondack chairs on Graham’s patio in Geneva feature student art

GENEVA – An Adirondack chair at Graham’s Fine Chocolates & Ice Cream in Geneva features the 13th-century chapel of St. Leonard in Croissy-sur-Seine, France.

A double Adirondack chair features the world, promoting international friendship with hands reaching out around the globe.

The chairs were painted by Geneva High School National Art Honor Society students.

Junior Maddelena Baggio painted the chapel.

Junior Lydia Kelly and senior Molly Carlson painted the double chair design of world friendship.

The idea for painting the chairs came from the Geneva International Cultural Exchange Committee, which sponsored the design contest. The committee received assistance from Geneva art teacher Megan Kelly, the adviser to the art honor society, and support from Graham’s to allow their chairs to be painted, committee vice president Pam Cabeen said.

“Graham’s is the perfect place for these chairs because both residents and visitors alike will use and enjoy them,” Cabeen said in an email. “At the same time, they will see that Geneva not only believes in the importance of making cultural connections but is actually actively working to extend the hands of friendship around the globe.”

The design contest was titled “Chaises d’Amitie/Friendship Chairs.”

The project began in November.

“It was important for us during this time of COVID restrictions that we wanted to continue our cultural activities between Geneva and Croissy-sur-Seine in a contactless way,” said Cynthia Albright, the president of the International Cultural Exchange Committee Board. “The chairs were a perfect answer.”

The themes for the submissions were to honor the 15-year cultural partnership with Croissy-sur-Seine and promote a culture of international friendship, Albright said.

The committee liked Kelly’s and Carlson’s designs so much and Graham’s had a double chair, so the committee had the girls put their designs on each half of the chair, Cabeen said.

Cabeen and her husband, Geneva District 304 school board member Larry Cabeen, rented trucks three times to pick up and transport the chairs.

First, they took the chairs from Graham’s to the students artists – the double chair went from one student to the other – to be painted at their homes.

Because of the split in the middle of the double chair, Carlson could not paint the hands actually clasping around the image of the world, Cabeen said. Carlson pivoted, and hands are seen clasping on the outside of the globe’s image and on the armrests, with handprints on the seat, Cabeen said.

“It turned out really nice and looks really great,” Cabeen said. “It’s friendship reaching out to other cultures and other people and making connections with other people.”

The Cabeens picked up both chairs and had them sealed so the artwork wouldn’t come off.

The chairs have been delivered to the patio outside of Graham’s for the public to see, enjoy and sit in.