Hantsport supports original artwork through Paint the Port

BY CHRISTY MARSTERS

NovaNewsNow.com

The Town of Hantsport will provide places for local artists to paint publicly Sept. 15-16.

Local gardens, historic buildings and waterfront areas will be used as suggested sites for artists to set up easels around the town and create original pieces while members of the public view the artists at work during Paint the Port.

Paint the Port co-chair Dan Jamer says the event will provide recognition to a longstanding group of successful artists with a gallery and auction following a fun day of painting.

“The opportunity allows various artists with different levels of styles and skills to contribute to the community in a cultural event gaining them personal exposure.”

Hantsport will showcase the Paint the Port event for a first time this fall, but similar initiatives have been well received in other areas such as Halifax, Lunenburg, Mahone Bay and Annapolis Royal.

Executive Director Gene Lane is with the Annapolis Royal arts council. He says Paint the Town is the prime fundraiser for the arts council and a major event that has run successfully in the area for over a decade. “In the last 10 years, we’ve sold over 500 paintings,” he said.

Nobody knew what to expect in the first year and it took a few years to catch on, as most things do, “but now the event is very popular in the community and each year we have to turn artists away because there are simply too many,” Lane said. “Now we keep it at about 80 people painting onsite because any more and things get hectic.”

It’s something people look forward to each year because it’s good for businesses and better for the community, Lane said. “It has broken down the walls between artists and regular people.”

Hantsport artist Susan Geddes, who is also helping to organize Paint the Port, says the hope is to chip away at a similar barrier within the community of Hantsport. “People tend to separate artists from ordinary life, but really we’re all just part of the same community,” she said.

There’s a long way to go before will people realize the quality of artwork around Hants County, Geddes said. “I’d like to see the consciousness around art developed and I think Paint the Port will help with this because it encourages people to look and get interested in art.”

Hantsport Recreation Director Sandra Fraser says hosting Paint the Port will bring in new people to the town for the day and allow them to get excited about art and the beautiful spots in the area. “It’s good for the town to have a wide variety of opportunities and attractions,” she said.

The Province of Nova Scotia noticed the importance of this event within the community as the Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage supported Paint the Port with a grant for $1,750, Fraser said. “Recreation is about quality of life, and art is part of that.”

Those looking to become part of the first annual Paint the Port can contact Fraser at 684-3200 or Geddes at 684-0878 for more information. Registration forms are available for artists wanting to secure a painting site at the Hantsport Town Hall and all applications must be received before Aug. 15.