The popular, public outdoor piano installation project, Pianos On the Street, has returned to Richmond this summer.
In case you haven’t noticed, for the last two weeks, three pianos — free for anyone to play anytime they feel like it — have been placed at Richmond Cultural Centre, Terra Nova Community Garden and the Britannia Heritage Shipyards.
The pianos, three of 24 installed in the Metro Vancouver region, are part of the Pianos On the Street program, which has been running since 2009.
The project focuses on connecting communities through music and giving local non-profit associations and community groups the chance to participate in creating public art, as each piano is meticulously maintained to top heirloom quality.
Pianos On the Street works exclusively with local non-profit associations such as Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, designing and hand-painting each piano to reflect the diversity of each group and unique neighborhood the piano is installed in.
“I started Pianos On the Street because pianos and music are in my blood,” said Sean Pacey, founder of the Piano Teacher’s Federation and owner of Pacey’s Pianos.
This summer also marks the return of Pianos On the Street’s photo and video contest. To enter, users simply share a photo/video of them playing piano with the hashtag #PianosOnTheStreet on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Check out PianosOnTheStreet.com for more information.
