The painted piano plopped in Oak Bay village for the Arts and Culture Fornight did the job last week.
When Addie and Iris, a pair of sisters from Saskatchewan spotted the piano they hopped off the tourbus.
The pair were in Victoria for Iris’ birthday on Aug. 10. Addie arranged a trip to Butchart Gardens for Iris’s first visit to Victoria.
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When they saw the painted piano, both having studied Conservatory music, they sat down and were using the piano as a photo op, says resident Karen Skowron, a regular Oak Bay News reader photographer.
“Then a policeman parked at the intersection of Oak Bay Avenue and Wilmot Place got out of his cruiser and came over and offered to take a photo of both of them,” Skowron says. “Then - some other woman walked by and suggested the policeman join them in a photo - which he did - and which she took with the sisters’ camera. Myself and another Oak Bay’er had watched all this unfold and were very taken by it.”
They went to chat with Sgt. Chris Goudie, of Oak Bay Police Department and the sisters and they agreed to send this photo.
“When they heard why the piano was there - and I happened to have one of the info brochures, they started off on a stroll to see the sculptures in the village,” Skowron says.
Six pianos painted by Gillian Redwood, Robert Amos, Jennifer McIntyre, Christine Gollner, Sherry Tompalski, and Senior Art Students at St. Michaels University School will be installed at Loon Bay Park, Estevan Village, McNeill Bay, Turkey Head Walkway, Willows Beach this year. A special piano parks in Oak Bay village during Arts and Culture Fortnight, Aug. 9 to 23.
cvanreeuwyk@oakbaynews.com
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