The hand-painted guitars that lined the city’s downtown streets in honour of Gordon Lightfoot are on the auction block this week.
Shortly after Gordon Lightfoot passed away in May, Streets Alive founder Leslie Fournier came up with the idea to display Lightfoot-themed artwork on painted wooden guitars along downtown street poles.
Since then, close to 60 guitars have been painted by local artists and put on display for the public to enjoy.
“The project came together pretty quickly once Lightfoot passed away at the beginning of May, and it just seemed really important to honour him and do some sort of public art tribute,” Fournier told OrilliaMatters.
“We left it up to (the artists) to figure out how they wanted to honour Lightfoot, whether it was a song or nature-based art, or just sort of whatever they thought of when they thought of Lightfoot.”
Now, the guitars are up for auction until Thursday at 9 p.m., with all proceeds going to fund further public art installations in the city, Fournier said.
“We just want to support the continuation of really impactful public art in Orillia, and making sure that our downtown, in particular, is continued to be recognized as a destination for art and culture,” she said.
Residents can bid on the guitars online, via this website, and may also bid in-person at Creative Nomad Studios on Thursday at 7 p.m.
“We’re having a celebration of the project of the art, of the artists at Creative Nomad Studios, and it’s open to anyone who wants to come and chat with the artists or see the guitars live, (and) they can actually bid … at the celebration.”
