Local Artists And Peterborough Community Rally In Support Of The Painted Paddle Project

A final farewell exhibit of The Painted Paddle will be on display at this month’s First Friday event on April 1 from 6 - 10 p.m. inside the Jason Wilkins Factory to commemorate the ending of a month-long public art initiative and online auction.

Photo courtesy of Peterborough DBIA.

During the month of March, a series of 34 hand-painted paddles were displayed in store windows throughout the downtown as part of an interactive self-guided art tour and online auction.

The public art initiative created opportunity for Peterborough residents to celebrate the connection to the waterways in the Nogojiwanong/Peterborough while mobilizing local artists to create wonderful works of art for a very good cause.

With so many local artists attributed to the project the Painted Paddle was a true showcase of our visual art scene. Residents embraced the self-guided art installation- which garnering over 7,000 views online through the exhibit’s interactive paddle map.

34 local artists donated their time to the project.

"What I have come to understand, is that I truly come to life when I am creating, and I am an artist at the core of my being, striving to creatively maneuver this life,” said Kelly Albin of Blue Frog Legs Studio. “I believe art has the ability to bring people together and is an integral part of our community as it provides us with a means of authentic connection regardless of educational, socioeconomic, language or cultural barriers."

Community members raised over $6,000 while bidding on paddles.

All proceeds raised through the online Painted Paddle auction will support the Downtown Green Team, a DBIA partnership with the One City Employment Program. Proceeds will fund a downtown horticultural maintenance crew for people who are experiencing barriers to traditional employment.

Friday will be the last chance to view the entire Painted Paddle exhibition before the paddles are divided up to auction winners.

Paddles will be on display at 6 p.m. on Friday at Jason Wilkins Factory Action winners will be able to pick up their paddle art pieces at the Jason Wilkins Factory from 8 - 10 p.m.

“I am super excited that my studio, the Jason Wilkins Factory, will be displaying all 34 beautiful paddles created by local artists for the DBIA’s Paddle Project, to raise funds for One City Peterborough,” Jason Wilkins, local artist and owner of Jason Wilkins Factory. “It’ll be amazing to see all that beautiful work together in one spot and hung alongside other works by 15 Peterborough Arts Collective artists- for our monthly group show.”

For more information on the Painted Paddle project contact the DBIA Vibrancy Manager, Dawn Pond by email at dawn@ptbodbia.ca.

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