Vacant spaces in downtown Hawkesbury are looking more colourful these days.
Local artist Amanda Wright has been busy turning vacant storefronts into showcases of her talent. Anyone who takes a walk along Main Street will see brightly coloured dragonflies, butterflies, and flowers on windows and walls. Wright has been doing the paintings as part of a pop-up art project with the COMZAC-BIA and downtown property owners.
“I’m all about happy and I think we need some happy,” said Wright.
When not decorating downtown Hawkesbury with images of winged insects and their floral surroundings, Wright gives lessons to other aspiring artists in the community.
Some of the locations where Wright has been painting on Main Street include the former Boutique Focus and Dunn’s Deli locations and around Jacob’s Treasures.
COMZAC-BIA has also been busy creating another place for people to enjoy downtown this summer. A pop-up park has been established in front of the building where Pizza-Pizza is located with the assistance of the Hawkesbury Rotary Club. Benches and plants have been installed, and a little free library box has been placed there. Wright’s creative talent is also being used at the pop-up park, which will include a giant snakes and ladders board she is painting.
“The people are the pieces.”
Wright is hoping pop-up art projects expand around Hawkesbury, and that more business and property owners volunteer spaces for art.
“You need to get people downtown.”
The pop-up park in downtown Hawkesbury. Photo: James Morgan
The Hawkesbury Rotary Club has provided a little free library box for the downtown pop-up park. Photo: James Morgan
