NEWS RELEASE
EXPLORE WATERLOO REGION
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Following last year's highly successful inaugural campaign, Explore Waterloo Region's Art Fresco public art project is set to return for Summer 2021.
Fifty colourful picnic tables - each hand painted by a local artist - will grace patios at bars, restaurants and eateries right across the region.
"The Art Fresco picnic tables are unique pieces designed to inject some colour and vibrancy into a sector that was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic," says Minto Schneider, Chief Executive Officer of Explore Waterloo Region. "It's also a creative way to shine a much-needed spotlight on our local arts community."
This year's Art Fresco campaign includes an exciting new twist. Visitors are encouraged to participate in the Art Fresco Table Trail - a digital passport that allows diners to check-in at participating restaurants for a chance to win weekly prizes. Participants in the Art Fresco Table Trail will also be entered into a Grand Prize draw to win a Playcation package valued at $1,000 at the end of the campaign. Passports for the Art Fresco Table Trail can be downloaded through Explore Waterloo Region's website.
More information on the Art Fresco artists and the eateries where their works can be seen can be found at artfresco.ca.
Please share your patio dining experiences with the Art Fresco tables on social media using the hashtags #ArtFrescoDining and #ArtFrescoTrail.
Connect with Explore Waterloo Region on social media; Like on Facebook and Follow on Twitter @ExploreWR and Instagram @explorewaterlooregion.
About Art Fresco
Conceived and executed by the team at Explore Waterloo Region, the Art Fresco project was launched in the summer of 2020 as a way to support the hospitality and arts sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic. 50 picnic tables were sourced from St. Clements Trim Inc., and a panel of judges evaluated submissions received from interested local artists. Artists were asked to submit design concepts that both celebrated Waterloo Region and honoured those things that make Waterloo Region unique.
Selected artists created their masterpieces at the former Lot 42 - a large venue that allowed the artists to work on their art while maintaining physical distancing. Paint and supplies were provided by Home Hardware's head office in St. Jacobs and Beauti-tone Paint.
About Waterloo Explore Waterloo Region
Founded in 2007, Explore Waterloo Region is the Destination Marketing Organization for the Region of Waterloo. A nonprofit organization responsible for destination marketing to increase the number of visitors and length of stay, Explore Waterloo Region works with community partners to promote festivals, events, attractions, restaurants and hotels and to develop new product offerings. The goal: to deliver a single, focused message that Waterloo Region is a dynamic, year-round destination with much to offer the individual traveler, families on vacation and corporate visitors.
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