A mobile gift-giving unit and temporary public art installation will soon take Kelowna by storm.
Created by the city’s 2022 Artist in Residence, Patrick Lundeen will share his project HAPPY DAY FREE GIFT TRUCK this fall.
Lundeen is the third artist to be chosen for the annual program and his theme will be social inclusion.
The art installation will be parked one afternoon per week from mid-October to late November in the Rotary Arts Commons (between the Rotary Centre for the Arts and the Kelowna Art Gallery). According to the City of Kelowna, the primary function of the project is to offer free gifts to residents and visitors to Kelowna to radiate good energy and discourage social isolation.
Lundeen said the gifts may come in the forms of something to eat or drink, music, a new prized possession and/or some unsolicited life advice.
“The HAPPY DAY FREE GIFT TRUCK invites and encourages public engagement and social interaction,” he said.
The Artist in Residence program is intended to broaden the community’s experience with arts and culture and stimulate thoughtful conversation on local topics, said Christine McWillis the cultural services manager for the city.
“The program is not a live-in residency, but the selected artist is required to work in Kelowna for the duration of the project,” she explained. “Each artist brings a unique view into our community and we’re really looking forward to seeing Patrick’s vision come to life.”
For more information about the artist, the Artist in Residence program or all things culture in Kelowna, visit kelowna.ca/culture.
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