In December 2010, United States Artists granted  $50,000 unrestricted grants to fifty artists throughout the country to further their work. Three of the artists were designated USA Knight Fellows, earning an additional $5,000 grant to create a community engagement event in their resident city. Last week, Philly.com profiled USA Knight Fellow Matthias Pliessnig, noting that his work is “increasingly attracting national attention and acclaim.” Click here to read the full article and read below for an excerpt:

“Most people don’t see benches the way Matthias Pliessnig sees benches. Then again, most people haven’t seen Matthias Pliessnig’s benches. These seats undulate like ocean waves, beckoning passersby both to join them and to stand back and admire them. Either way, creating an irresistible, symbiotic relationship between the Philadelphian’s furniture and the people who use it is intentional. ‘I want them to have an experience with it,’ says Pliessnig, 32, in his cluttered Port Richmond workshop.” Continue reading at Philly.com