Standing Up and Making a Statement With Chair Design

Period Piece by Peg Woodworking; Loud and Proud by Joey Zeledon x Martelle Esposito

By Rita Catinella Orrell

Take a stand, and make a difference. That’s the idea behind Don’t Sit on Me, the latest group exhibition at the Hudson Valley design store/gallery Available Items. Design industry veterans Kristin Coleman and Chad Phillips founded this business in 2022 as a place to champion contemporary design. And they’re not afraid of making a statement. Featuring 13 chair designs that confront injustice, this protest show runs through Aug. 2 with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Human Rights Watch.

Designers have never shied away from calling out inequities. And Don’t Sit on Me continues that tradition through rather unexpected media like whoopee cushions, fake menstrual blood, and pool floats. 

Bartholomew by Felix Beaudry; Slap Chair by Brian Atkinson

“The concept began with us both wanting to do a more impactful show during this time, giving designers and artists an outlet for channeling their anxieties and frustrations with the current state of the union,” Chad says. “Kristin had the idea of a protest show, and I think we were joking about it being chairs and that it should be called 'Don't Sit on Me.' Then it struck both of us that maybe it was a really good idea.”

The biggest challenge for the husband-and-wife team was narrowing down the 65+ submissions from around the world to just 13 pieces that felt timely and powerful in their messages.

Chad says his favorite is the Loud and Proud chair by Joey Zeledón and Martelle Esposito. “It’s a real knockout and hits on so many levels,” he says. It's an act of joyful defiance (a Barcelona chair frame covered in whoopee cushions, serving as an analogy for defending trans rights) and is also surprisingly comfortable!”

Don’t Sit on Me flag by Shawn Carney

The centerpiece of the exhibit is the Don’t Sit on Me flag by Shawn Carney. A modern take on the Gadsden Flag (which symbolizes resistance to government overreach), this 21st-century reinterpretation features Gerrit Rietveld's Zig Zag Chair in lieu of a rattlesnake.

Other highlights include Felix Beaudry’s Bartholomew, which invites the viewer to put their full weight on a colorful, sagging, knitted male figure; Everything is Under Control (Inflated Patriotism) by Jed Heuer, a traditional dining chair with the seat removed and replaced with an overinflated vinyl USA eagle pool float; and The Economic Chair by Yi Chen, a stool that transforms everyday furniture into a map of global economics. 

My personal favorite is Period Piece by Peg Woodworking, a handcrafted wood chair upholstered in white boucle fabric marked by a beaded “menstruation stain” representing the psychological and financial burden carried by women.

U.S.A. Chair by  Viñas + Design; Paper Throne by Summer Moore; Everything is Under Control (Inflated Patriotism) by Jed Heuer

Visitor feedback about the exhibition has been positive overall, despite the political statements of the pieces—or perhaps because of their social commentary.

“Everyone loves the show even if they don't necessarily understand the protest angle,” Chad says. “At the end of the day, all we have is our community, and if each of us can help one another and possibly change a view to the positive, through action and not correcting or screaming at others, then that's what we should do.” ⬥

Don’t Sit on Me is open to the public Friday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 64 Broadway in Tivoli, New York, through August 2.

Inclined to Believe by Nine Stories Co.; Municipal Tree Chair by Eric Trine; The Economic Chair by Yi Chen