The year 2020 was a time of unprecedented change.
As the community of the City of Kawartha Lakes shuttered all nonessential activities to help flatten the curve of a pandemic and respond to what public officials from all levels of Government decreed as an uncertain and unprecedented time, our language and ways of connecting to family, friends, school, employment and community pivoted to respond to our new normal.
Acknowledging the importance of documenting the COVID-19 experiences and emotions of area residents, the City of Kawartha Lakes launched ‘Words While We Wait’ a temporary public art initiative.
A cooperative community exhibit between the City of Kawartha Lakes, Kawartha Arts Network and Kawartha Art Gallery, a Call for Submissions went out to residents of the City of Kawartha Lakes for poems and verse that used the phases and terms associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. A panel of four area jurors then adjudicated the over 40 received submissions down to 10 finalists.
The 10 selected poems and verse were then paired with 10 area artists from the artist co-op, Kawartha Arts Network, who illustrated their interpretation of the piece of poetry or verse that they were paired with.
The exhibit is being presented in ten bus shelters within the town of Lindsay’s Public Transit system, the City of Kawartha Lakes website and the media platform of Kawartha Arts Network and other media and partner platforms for viewing.
The City of Kawartha Lakes, Kawartha Arts Network and Kawartha Art Gallery now present to you, Words While We Wait, for your personal interpretation.
With many thanks to the jurors for the written submissions for ‘Words While We Wait’
Deputy Mayor Pat O’Reilly
City of Kawartha Lakes
Ray Marshall
Board Chair Kawartha Lakes Arts Council
Ryan Cowieson
Communications, Advertising & Marketing Office Corporate Services, City of Kawartha Lakes
Susan Taylor
Executive Director, Kawartha Art Gallery
Words While We Wait
