Public loves painted chairs, but vandalism a problem
Valley-wide art project sees artistically painted Adirondack chairs placed in various communities
Public response to a Valley-wide art project based around colourfully painted Adirondack chairs has been overwhelmingly positive, despite some minor vandalism.
“I have quite a file of comments people have sent in to say how pleased they are with the chairs,” says Sharon McCoubrey, head of the Artwalk program in Lake Country.
“A few groups are even making a journey of it, travelling to each community to see the chairs, then finding a place to go for lunch,” McCoubrey said.
Forty-five of the chairs, in groups of three, have been placed in 15 locations around the Okanagan.
The Peachland chairs have been damaged by vandals, and will be repaired, and there’s also been some damage to the chairs placed in Kelowna, McCoubrey said.
“It clearly has been a successful project,” she said. “The fact that some have been damaged is unfortunate, but we will work to keep them all in good shape for everyone to enjoy.”
Artwalk, a long-running annual show-and-sale of juried art works where more than $100,000 worth of original pieces are sold, was cancelled in Lake Country this year because of the pandemic.
Commissioning 45 select artists to paint the Adirondack chairs was conceived as a way to provide some work to artists whose income may have been affected by the pandemic, and to remind people that Artwalk will aim for a return in 2021.
“Many artists have commented on how the project gave them a purpose and a spark when they were a bit dormant with their art-making because festivals and shows have been cancelled,” McCoubrey said.