New Greenbelt art piece created in parents’ memory

The Greenbelt is known for its unique benches and art. And it just got a new addition.

New benches and a picnic table were unveiled in honor of John and Regina Louise Bruno. Their children decided to honor them after their mother passed away last year. Their father passed away in 1994.

“She loved everything about Idaho Falls,” Diana Perkins, John and Regina’s daughter, said. “She was very sure that once she was sick she wanted something that would be long lasting where friends and family and people could come and enjoy themselves and really just get a great view of the Snake River.”

The inspiration for the artwork came from the family. Each line on top of the tree stump represents one year of marriage for John and Regina. The benches represent their children.

“They told me that they were quadruplets,” Ronda Friesen, artist of the piece, said. “So what kind of artistic thing could I do for them? And I thought, wolf pack. And she says yeah, we’ve been called a pack before, being four kids.”

Perkins thinks the artwork is exactly what her mom would have wanted.

“I think my mom would say, ‘wow this is amazing,'” Perkins said. “It’s beautiful. I think she would think that it was a part of Idaho Falls. And I think she would really believe that people could come down here and spend quality time with their families.”

More than anything, the Bruno children hope the table and benches help preserve their parents legacy.

“I hope the legacy for my parents here is the idea of giving,” Perkins said. “Giving back and really fostering a sense of community. You know, bringing people together because that’s really what life’s about and I think my mom and dad tried to do that in their everyday lives.”