Gift-giving artist courtesy of city
An artist commissioned by the City of Kelowna will give away gifts once a week this fall.
Presents to be randomly distributed by Patrick Lundeen might be food, beverages, or some “unsolicited life advice,” according to a city press release issued Wednesday.
Lundeen was chosen by the city as the 2022 ‘Artist in Residence.’ His project is called ‘Happy Day Free Gift Truck.”
“The primary function of the project is to offer free gifts to residents and visitors to Kelowna to radiate good energy and discourage social isolation,” the city release states. “These gifts may take the form of something to eat or drink, music, a new prized possession and/or some unsolicited life advice.”
“I am thrilled to be selected as the 2022 City of Kelowna resident artist,” Lundeen said. “I look forward to meeting you and I hope that you enjoy your free gifts!”
The city has run an Artist in Residence program since 2020. Despite the name, the chosen artist is not provided with any accommodation, but they are paid $12,000, with the payment to be inclusive of “any fees or taxes,” according to the city website. Goals of the program, the city says, are to engage the community with art and culture, create works or art, and address the topic of social inclusion.
Lundeen is a sessional art instructor at UBC Okanagan. “His approach to visual art employs humour, sensory experience, and a rough and visceral aesthetic to elicit a complex response from viewers”, the city release states.
Lundeen will be distributing presents from the ’Happy Day Free Gift Truck,’ to be parked one afternoon a week on the lawn between the Kelowna Art Gallery and the Rotary Centre for the Arts, from mid-October to late November.