Creating art and connections in the Rivers West District
An effort to promote community engagement and give locals a chance to express themselves through art was a successful event in the community of Paynton last week.
Nineteen participants from 10 communities gathered over the two-day open hearts, open minds event to paint barn quilts on wooden sheets. Attendees drew inspiration from books provided by the Paynton Library with several quilt ideas. Both Bonny MacNab of Mervin and Marg Uhlig of Turtleford act as facilitators for the workshops.
Bonnie Mills Midgley, the community development co-ordinator for Rivers West District for Sport, Culture and Recreation, said the event and other similar ones she organizes, in part, help combat loneliness and isolation in rural Saskatchewan. For this event, waiting for the paint to dry or sharing a provided dinner sparked engagement amongst the painters, she said.