Streets Alive is set to add some colour and cheer to the downtown core with ‘Downtown Whoville Trees’ this holiday season.
Streets Alive founder Leslie Fournier says she recently decided to put a winter and holiday art project in motion that would be "doable and not too labour intensive" for artists who participated in this summer's Streets Alive project.
“It’s loosely based on Whoville, although I don’t want it to completely mimic The Grinch characters. A little of that will be out there, but more than anything I just wanted it to be colourful, whimsical, and fun,” Fournier explained.
The five-foot, five-inch trees will be displayed on the street poles throughout all five blocks of the downtown core by the end of the month.
“We will put them up as artists finish painting, so it will be a little bit of a staggered installation,” Fournier said.
For any local community members who would like to paint a tree, they can sign up at Jack & Maddy A Kids’ Store on the main street for no cost.
“Anybody who wants to paint a tree can do so. You don’t have to be an artist with a gallery, it’s for anyone in the community who wants to paint,” she said.
Fournier is hopeful that 100 trees will be created. After the holiday season, they will be sold as a fundraiser for Streets Alive.
“The main goal really is to beautify and add some colour to the downtown for the holidays. We also hope to get families walking downtown to see all 100 trees, ideally while doing some of their Christmas shopping,” she said.
“Our downtown is one of the most beautiful and vibrant downtowns around, but it doesn’t mean we stop, it’s a challenge to keep going every season.”
The Northern Joinery is cutting the shapes for the project, and the coroplast material for the trees was donated by former MP Bruce Stanton.
