News: Ribbon Cutting Planned for Interactive Sculpture Installation at Bristol’s Stocks Playground

Date Published	Author
11/3/2025 12:00:00 AM

Ribbon Cutting Planned for Interactive Sculpture Installation at Bristol’s Stocks Playground

Bristol, CT – [November 3, 2025] – The City Arts and Culture Commission and Bristol Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services (BPRYCS) invites community members to a ribbon cutting event for a new art installation at Bristol’s Casey Field and Stocks Playground.

A six-foot-tall metal heart sculpture has been installed at the entrance to James P. Casey Field and E. G. Stocks Playground to be known as “Locks at Stocks”. A ribbon cutting for “Locks at Stocks” is planned for Wednesday, November 5^th at 5PM and community members are invited to attend and interact with the sculpture.

City Arts and Culture Commission Chair, Walter Lewandoski, explained “The concept for the sculpture is based upon various sites around the world where people can leave locks, in many cases just attached to a fence, to commemorate togetherness. Being that we are the All Heart City, we chose the heart shape. The concept was initially proposed to the Arts and Culture Commission over a year ago by John Cunningham, owner of Farmington Metal Fabrication, a Bristol based business, who very generously wanted to give back to the community.”

Arts and Culture Supervisor, Arianna Therriault, elaborated “the installation is interactive and visitors are encouraged to bring locks and padlocks to lock onto to the sculpture and leave their mark!”

With support from the Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services administration and the Board of Park Commissioners, The Arts and Culture Commission proceeded with research about other Locks of Love sites, potential park locations, and began fabricating designs.
The heart is powder coated a bright red and contains a heavy-duty steel grid for attaching locks. Daniel Christopher, of Christopher Concrete Services, another Bristol based company, poured the concrete base and surrounding sidewalk that supports the 300 lb. structure.

Lewandoski went on to further say, “The only way for this project to come to fruition was as the result of a convergence of culture, community, and cooperation. Without the vision, generosity and determination of everyone involved, there would be no ‘Locks at Stocks’. When a community embraces a concept and joins together, great things happen and we look forward to further enhancing the Culture and Climate of Bristol.”

Locks at Stocks is located at the entrance to James P. Casey Field and E. G. Stocks Playground and accessible via 43 Lake Avenue and 218 Middle Street in Bristol, CT 06010.