Neepawa celebrates its beautiful benches

A non-profit in Neepawa is hosting its fifth annual festival today, celebrating local art through an unveiling of multiple painted wooden benches meant to brighten up the community and foster connection.

ArtFest has been an integral part of the town’s artistic scene and gives many talented painters a chance to showcase their work in a multi-functional way, said Yvonne Sisley, the executive director for ArtsForward.

“The work in these benches is just unbelievable,” she said, adding that she loves driving around and seeing people taking a moment to rest and admire the art.

In the last five years, more than 25 benches have been painted and displayed around town, with five more that are being painted this summer.

The benches are placed near the sponsoring business or in another location in need of a resting place and are built by the Men’s Shed Neepawa.

Three benches are being revealed today during ArtFest, which takes place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

“This year’s benches are just the most amazing,” Sisley said.

“It’s amazing how much it’s brightened up our town.”

She said it took artist Shannon Desjardins two and a half days to paint a bench featuring 15 miniature photographs taken by Jodi Baker, who sponsored the bench. It captures images of sunflowers, the northern lights, landmarks in Neepawa and other landscapes.

“To see their process is so cool,” Sisley said.

Meaghan Peters is painting a bench that will be placed outside Neepawa’s Royal Canadian Legion to celebrate its 100th anniversary, Sisley said. This bench will be unveiled at a later date.

Artists Leigh Tubelleja and Jan Constantine Luciano collaborated on two benches that took a month to paint. The bench for the Harris Pharmacy features a bumble bee and Winnie the Pooh sitting near a honey pot.

The one for the New Hope Health Centre is blue with multiple pink lotus flowers, bamboo and stacked rocks, detailing a peaceful oasis.

“I feel like it adds this like personality to a town or to like a space, especially if you’re just a passerby,” said Luciano, who’s a summer student for ArtsForward.

While both businesses had a specific aesthetic they were looking for, he said it was fun to use his imagination and be creative.

Luciano said he became interested in art as a child and continued to take classes until high school before he decided to pursue a degree in architecture at the University of Manitoba.

“I enjoy like doing art stuff. I love painting from here and there, and I definitely love sketching more than painting,” he said.

Luciano is also painting a bench for the Farmery Estate Brewery that won’t be completed until August.

“We fell a little bit behind with all the flooding that’s been happening throughout Westman,” Sisley said, adding that the basement at ArtsForward has also had some flooding.

She said it’s been a frustrating time for people who’ve been dealing with flooding in their homes.

“To be able to put on a free barbecue and have people out and just have some live music that they can listen to and maybe a few hours that they can enjoy themselves and get their mind off of the stresses … it does mean a lot for us to be able to do that,” Sisley said.

Today’s event will also feature a workshop by British Columbia artist Perry Haddock, who’s a contemporary impressionist and senior signature member of the Federation of Canadian Artists.

A group of participating artists will learn from Haddock about plein air — or outdoor — painting and practise around Neepawa, adding another dimension to ArtFest because residents will see artwork created in real time, Sisley said.

The Amazing Race Neepawa is also happening in conjunction with ArtFest. More than 100 people are participating in the race, made up of 21 stops, Sisley said.

“We’ve got passports for them here at ArtsForward and … we’ve done clues and everything for all the businesses. So, we handed out those packages to the businesses this week,” she said.

One of the stops involves participants having to vote on where Desjardins’ bench will be placed in the town, Sisley said.

The activity at the festival is a way for people to meet others, have fun and even check out businesses they may have never stepped into before, she said.

Later in the evening, fireworks that were postponed from Canada Day due to flooding in the campground area will be set off.

» tadamski@brandonsun.com