EMILY HSUEH
SHAWVILLE Aug. 22, 2020
A section of rue Main in Shawville was closed off on Saturday, Aug. 22, not because of construction or an accident, but in the name of art.
A group of seven printmakers from artPontiac — Susan Cartwright, Tina Petrovicz, Laurence Finet, Valerie Bridgeman, Dale Shutt, Louise Guay and Robert Hinchley — took to the streets to . . .
put on a public art demonstration called InterconneXion with the goal of bringing the community together.
The team also consisted of videographer Glen Hartle.
A large tent was set up where the artists inked their hand-carved printing plates, which were then taken to the street to be pressed onto paper and fabric by a steamroller, lent to the group by James Hynes Construction. Dozens of people of all ages attended the event which went from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The first completed prints drew cheers and applause as they were revealed.
“It was an interconnection between the artists that were working together,” said Valerie Bridgeman, who has been printmaking for 12 years. “When you’re making art together, you really have to trust each other and have a good rapport and have a trusting attitude where you’re not afraid. So we wanted to show the interconnection between the artists.”
The name InterconneXion was something the artists kept in mind when planning the event, which took several months to do. The activity was made possible through a grant from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec which funded artistic projects that involve the community.
“There was the original group of two or three [artists] who talked to some other people, so it just came about naturally. It was an interconnection in the artistic world,” said artPontiac communications lead Geneviève Has. “Here, it’s out in the open, you got people walking around … It’s going great. I’m super happy with the turnout, we had lots of people, and it’s a lovely day.”
The prints were hung up on display on the Hursty’s Bar and Grill patio for audiences to admire. But they were not for sale; the group has another plan for them.
“Next year there could be a traveling exhibition … everyone would frame their work and take it to five or six galleries in the Pontiac,” said Bridgeman. However, many galleries have been closed due to the pandemic, and the traveling exhibition is still up in the air.
Regardless of the future, the printmaking event was a big success for the art collective.
“This is just really exciting because how many times to you get to print on the street with a steamroller?” Bridgeman said.
Sharing the sentiment, Has added, “There have been events [with artPontiac] but not to this scale, not including a five-tonne steam roller. To me it’s unheard of.”
