Pop go the silos in unique rural art attraction
8 artists have created giant works of art using towering farm silos as their canvas
If you happen to be driving through the picturesque farmland of Prescott-Russell this summer, be on the lookout for an unusual art exhibit.
From Embrun to Vankleek Hill, five roadside silos have been transformed into towering murals.
It's called the Popsilos project, an art and agri-tourism initiative tied to this year's Canada 150 celebrations.
The project's manager, Jennifer Larocque, came up with the idea while travelling through Scotland, where she was wowed by Kelburn Castle.
"One of its façades was completely covered in graffiti. It became a tourist attraction for that rural area," she told Radio-Canada in French.
The farmers who are hosting the murals — despite not necessarily being art aficionados — like the idea of celebrating the region in a novel way.
"Murals, for me, were always a city thing. But when we saw the creation and the work behind it, it's almost like agriculture. You start with nothing and you finish autumn with a harvest," said Michel Dignard, a participating farmer from Vankleek Hill.
"There is craft behind that, there's precision, there's attention to detail."
Omen, one of the eight artists behind the murals, said the large, curved surfaces were a challenge, and so were the weather conditions.
"It's difficult because, for starters, I was 98 feet high. And you see, how windy it is here? Up high, it's windy too. And I make some details that are, at the same time, pretty precise," he said.
Dignard calls the project a win-win for the community.
"It's going to bring the world here. And once here we can share our knowledge, share the history of agriculture," he said.
Click on this link for a map of the Popsilos circuit, which will officially launch June 30.
