KGA Polished Aluminum Public Bench
Auctioned Off at the 4th Annual SWOSU
Athletic Fundraiser Auction
This polished aluminum bench comes to SWOSU by way of Kelly Gale Amen of Houston, Texas. It is a “signed and numbered piece” of art from the KGA Functional Art Collection. This Public Bench is from the same family as the Orbital Blue benches at the Stafford Air and Space Museum. KGA Public Bench 3′ H x 4′ 3/4″ W x 2′ 1/2″ D Kelly Gale Amen, born in 1949, is a native of Weatherford, Oklahoma. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma (BA), Kelly moved to Houston in 1972 to begin his professional design career. He started his own design business, KGA Inc., in 1974 and has been an influential participant in the Houston arts & design community for decades. He is a founding member of NSID/ASID.
Kelly’s work has been featured in all available media, from a feature on HGTV’s Extreme Homes to frequent highlights and features on his design projects in the local print press. His work is published in books and magazines distributed nationally.
In the 1990’s Kelly began creating his own Art Furniture to give voice to his personal vision. At the time artists were fomenting a movement to include functional art within the arena of fine art. Architects and Designers were creating functional work to augment their portfolios and allow their artistic work to be legitimized within that realm. He is also a founding member of the American Society of Furniture Artists.
His KGA Triple Benches are on display as a permanent installation in Houston’s Shady Groves Victims Memorial at Tinsley Park. Kelly is proud to have had one of his Memorial Benches installed in Houston’s Bob Lanier Public Works Building. He also has his Art Furniture in the Houston Museum of Natural Science, The Thomas P Stafford Air and Space Center in Weatherford, Oklahoma, the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Oklahoma, to mention a few installations.
Kelly has thrown his support behind many charitable ventures throughout his career, adding his special slant on how to engage and reward those involved in fund raising as well as those receiving the benefit of those funds. Some of those organizations are: The Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Aids Foundation Houston, and most recently, the Zina Garrison Foundation.
Starting in 2007, Kelly branched out with the signed & numbered edition collections, partnering with Susan G. Koman for the Cure, The Stafford Air & Space Museum, and the Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing organizations.
With his activities ranging through tireless support of the arts to active participation as a creator of Art Furniture and sculpture, Kelly enjoys a reputation internationally for cutting edge concept and design.
