LOCAL HISTORY

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Banfield Neighbourhood Art Crawl coming May 13th

Support local artists, check out the talent in this community!

The thought of having some type of art event in the Banfield Neighbourhood has been on the minds of three Banfield neighbours for some time. They casually talked about it with each other until on November 2nd, 2022, the idea started to take life. On that late fall day, local artists Christa Potter, Jeanette Obbink and Jennifer Budd met to formalize their ideas and that evening, the Banfield (Neighbourhood) Art Crawl was created.

As it turns out, the neighbourhood is brimming with talent and so it was decided, for the inaugural event, that the focus would be on showcasing artists and makers who live in the Banfield Neighbourhood only, giving shoppers the chance to park and roam freely from home to home, or studio to studio! Word spread quickly within the Banfield Neighbourhood social media page, and with the help of a flyer drop at every household, it wasn’t long before 31 artists and makers were lined up and ready to participate. Organizers are said to be absolutely delighted with the response.

On Saturday, May 13th from 10 am to 4 pm, the first of its kind (here at least) neighbourhood art crawl is open to the public, featuring 21 locations in the neighbourhood. Visitors can walk to each location and experience the artists’ work both outdoors and indoors. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, plans are already in place for artists to move their showcases to porches, verandas and sunrooms to ensure the show, er crawl, goes on rain or shine!

Continued on page 15 are delighted to spread the news of the first ever Banfield Art Crawl taking place May 13 from 10 am to 4 pm. The crawl will feature a variety of artists and makers exhibiting their talents.

What’s even more amazing is this is a free event and all sales go directly to the local artists/makers who live right here in the community, it doesn’t get any more ‘shop local’ than that! This past week organizers made up printed brochures with maps showing a suggested walking route, but you can experience the crawl in any order or fashion that suits you The Banfield Neighbourhood is beautiful and easy to navigate.

“We are hoping to see lots of people on the sidewalk enjoying this lovely, heritage area of Paris. One of the exciting parts of the venture is the capacity to grow and develop relationships within the neighbourhood. It’s an opportunity for neighbours to get to know each other and discover the creativity that dwells among us,” organizers shared in an email to the Paris Independent. There’s a mix of hobbyists and professional artists and makers of all ages participating, with the youngest artist only 10 years old. Some of the participants will offer demonstrations of what they do, including wool spinning, rug hooking and there will be live music from a young musician on Jane St.

All participating locations will be identified by lawn signs Mark your calendars now because this isn’t something you’ll want to miss. After all, it’s not every day an art crawl pops up in town! Follow the event online for last minute details.

Here’s peak at what the Art Crawl will look like. The map is designed for easy flow, but you can visit the homes in any order that suits you!