Amid COVID-19, an Okanagan art festival doesn't go online, it pulls up a chair

Whenthe 27-year-old Lake Country ArtWalkin B.C.'s Central Okanagan had to becancelled this year because of theCOVID-19 pandemic, organizers decided to offer a seat toart lovers throughout the region.

In the coming weeks, 45ArtWalk Art Chairs Muskoka chairs painted with colourful images that range from naturescenesto wild animals are being installed in 13 municipalities along the Okanagan Valley.

Each cityreceives three chairs that are clustered together in the same neighbourhood, except for Salmon Arm, Lake Country and Kelowna, which are allocated extra chairsbecause some other Okanagan municipalities aren't able to jointhe project.

Forty-five local artists participating in previous ArtWalk festivals were commissioned to create designs on the chairs that will be available to all comers over the nexttwo years set two metres apart to ensure physical distancing, of course.

"The fun of it [the Art Chairs project] will be to come across these works of art in your community, where you can enjoy them as works of art and also sit back and enjoy the space as well," said Sharon McCoubrey, chairperson of the Lake Country ArtWalk's planning committee.

Each chair comes with astatement from itsartistwhich McCoubrey believes the public will appreciate.

"In a time that's a little bit different and a little bit challenging for some people, to have an uplifting, thoughtful statement might be an additional plus as they experience the chair," she said.

Organizers encourages people to take a selfie with an Art Chair and post it on social media with hashtags #ArtWalkArtChairs or #LCartwalk when they travel through the13 Okanagan Valley municipalities.

Zoom into the map below and click on the icons to view where the 45 Art Chairs are located and images of the artworks. The map doesn't reflect the exact locations of the chairs. Visit the website of Lake Country ArtWalk for updates.