The mayor, a CTV reporter, Mount Allison students, community members, and a dog gathered around an easel outside the Royal Bank of Canada and helped Sackville express itself on canvas.
They passed the paintbrush around, adding different colours and textures to their piece of art. The sun shone in the top right corner. A streak of yellow cut through blue splotches that peppered the canvas. After contributing, the artists discussed their communal efforts.
Some artists didn’t use the paintbrush. At one point, a dog contributed to the canvas with a painted paw.
Commerce professor Rosemary Polegato said that the painting, entitled “Sackville Expressions,” was meant to reflect the diversity of art and people in the Sackville community.
While many of the artists at Culture Days performed for an audience, the Community Canvas took a more collaborative approach last Friday.
“We wanted to get people involved in making a piece of art, rather than just watching it,” said third-year Commerce student Alicia Kenny. Kenny was one of the students facilitating the creation of the painting.
“What impresses me is it seems to be student-driven,” Moncton-bases CTV reporter David Bell said.
Sackville mayor Bob Berry, who participated in the painting, said he was pleased to see people expressing themselves in town.
“It’s just another one of those things that Mount Allison University contributed to this town, and it contributes a lot.”
