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City officials gathered at the Pleasanton Public Library earlier this month to unveil the newest piece of public art, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Book Bench”.
The work by artist Kristen Chase was originally displayed in downtown Danville as part of that town’s “Bound for Books” temporary exhibit in 2023. Pleasanton resident Dorothy Broderson and her husband Roland later bought the artistic bench in an online auction and donated it to the city for installation at the library on Old Bernal Avenue.
The Jan. 11 debut event included a reveal ceremony, special storytime and Oz-themed crafting.
“I’m so grateful that the bench has found a home in front of the Pleasanton Library,” Chase told the Weekly. “It’s the perfect place! I hope it’ll bring as much joy to the library patrons as it did to me in its creation.”
“‘The Wizard of Oz’ is my favorite movie and I have fond memories of my Grandpa reading the book to me as a small child … As an aspiring children book illustrator W.W. Denslow, who did the original illustrations, has been an inspiration and I’ve painted an homage to him on the spine of the book bench…a seahorse, which was his mark,” Chase added. “Many thanks to Dorothy Broderson for all her efforts in finding this home and to all the folks in Pleasanton who made this happen.”
