Thanks to a creative local artist and the neighbourhood folks who've since joined in, a simple wire fence running alongside a KVR Trail tributary walking path on the West Bench has quickly become a colorful and uplifting pandemic rallying point.
It all began two weeks ago, says Yvonne Bernardy-Dearden, who initiated the ever-growing project and lives on the property surrounded by the fence-turned-art gallery.
"I've been an artist all my life," said Bernardy-Dearden Thursday morning. "But the whole COVID thing was crushing emotionally. I get artist block when I'm sad and painting seemed out of the question."
But a few weeks into the lockdown, artist's block turned into artist's inspiration.
"As the days went by and I'd scroll through social media or watch the news, I'd see some really positive messages. People painting messages on rocks and putting them on walking paths. Even my 88-year-old mother on Vancouver Island put hearts in her window."
And Bernardy-Dearden knew what she had to do.
"I also wanted to reach out to the community. The photos I saw on Facebook really helped me, so I wanted to do the same for other people. Painting gives me peace, so why not paint a poster and put it on my fence?"
So she did just that, and the result can be seen below.
But Bernardy-Dearden soon realized a single poster wouldn't be enough.
"It's a huge stretch of fence and it felt so therapeutic for me, so I was compelled to paint another. Then another. And then it occurred to me that I'd love it if others would want to contribute. So I made a little sign and invited the neighbourhood."
"I thought for kids, they can't hang their posters up at school right now. They have no artistic outlet. So they can do it here. It doesn’t have to be fancy."
Today, there are 22 posters hanging on her fence - seven from Bernardy-Dearden and 15 more from other locals. Six have appeared in just the past 48 hours.
Granted, the posters, fastened primarily by clothespins, tend to blow away when the wind picks up, which it's done quite often lately. And that means Bernardy-Dearden is forced to come to the rescue, refastening them or sometimes taking them all down until the calm returns. But that's apparently a small price to pay.
"It's so lovely when the neighbours go by and say it brings them to tears or they love the posters or want to see what's next," she says. "The feedback has been wonderful."
Her favourite poster, she says, was formulated by her daughter, who lives in the coronavirus epicenter of New York. "She wanted to contribute, so she came up with the concept and I painted it."
Anyone wanting to add to the display merely needs to bring a poster and stout clothespins or binder clips. Most posters so far are letter size and either wrapped in plastic or laminated.
"I'd love to fill up that whole fence," said Bernardy-Dearden. "It's on the KVR Trail on West Bench Hill Road. As soon as you go past the first wooden bridge, you'll see the posters on your right hand side."
Bernardy-Dearden can be reached at her Facebook page.
