Penticton’s Medical Arts Health Research Group hosted an event July 21 which saw eight local artists come together for some outdoor painting.
The event, called “Plein Air in the Garden,” was held at a community garden to support the group’s garden box project.
The research group is seeking households without access to a garden, who are in need of fresh produce, and providing them with two small garden beds which can be used to grow fresh vegetables.
The group will provide households with supplies and help them build and install the boxes, while also teaching them about gardening. Supplies include lumber, seeds, and soil.
Half of the produce grown in the gardens is donated to the Salvation Army food bank.
The photos of the paintings taken at the event will be used to create a calendar on sale to support next year’s garden box project.
Sierra Hartman, a summer student with the Medical Arts Health Research Group and founder of the garden box project, says she is hoping to expand the project next year. This year over 60 garden boxes were installed. Next year Hartman hopes to double that number.
The 2021 calendars will be on sale in October.
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