w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, Ju ly 23 ,2 02 0 | 2 Busy running your small business? Let us help with marketing it. Introducing Marketing 360™ Powered by Star Metroland Media Learn More at Marketing360.ca remain closed -- yet that didn't stop Kris- tina Bradt from depicting the tube slide that's usually lined up with swimmers seeking a cool-down at this time of year. Bradt, an artist from Windsor, was in town to paint a table celebrating Binge- mans, a place she's frequented many times with her family in the past. She saw an ad calling for artists on Instagram and decided to apply. Specializing in public art and installa- tions, Bradt seized the opportunity that allowed her to come to another city for the day and do something different in a place she hadn't been for a while. Minto Schneider, Explore Waterloo Re- gion's chief executive officer, highlighted the cross-section of creators ranging from youth and Indigenous artists, to var- ious cultural backgrounds. The majority of the 38 artists partici- pating are from the region. Art Fresco is part of the Waterloo Re- gion United Eat Local campaign that's geared to bringing back local diners first, Schneider said, which is opposite to the tourism and marketing corporation's usual focus of bringing in people from outside the area. Even with the province's announce- ment last week to move into Phase 3 of re- opening, many people are still reluctant to venture into their own community, de- spite distancing measures in place, Schneider said. "I think one of the biggest challenges that remains is getting people back." On one picnic table, Brubey Hu created an abstract map of Waterloo region using the colours of Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo, where she earned her master's degree in fine art. Other more recognizable themes in- cluded Oktoberfest, by artist Andrea Lo- rentz, and quilting by Angela Grasse. While auctioning off the tables for charity was considered at first, Schneider said the goal will be to keep the tables -- made out of spruce, with powder-coated steel bases -- in the public eye for as long as possible. Diane Murenbeeld, Explore Waterloo Region's director of marketing, said the distribution of tables will be partly based on geography and proximity to the themes depicted on the tables. The aim is to evenly distribute the cre- ations across Waterloo region to various venues which signed up to take part in a lottery. "Right now they're destined for patios throughout the region, with roughly two- thirds already spoken for," she said The tables that are part of Art Fresco, sponsored by Beauti-Tone Paint and Home Hardware, are being sent to an auto body shop to be sealed before being dis- tributed at the end of the month. "We're doing the auto body sealing just for durability and UV protection and all that because, obviously, they are going to be outdoors and need to withstand the ele- ments, because we hope it's a legacy pro- ject and we see these tables for years to come," said Murenbeeld. Schneider believes the province is tak- ing a more cautious approach to reopen- ing after witnessing what's happening in parts of the U.S., with many jurisdictions announcing closures due to what's being referred to as a second wave of COVID-19. "I don't think the province is prepared to shut things down again," she said. Phase 3 of reopening in Ontario means restaurants in much of the province will be allowed to reopen to indoor dining and live art performances and movie theatres will be permitted with distancing mea- sures in place. Also good news is that indoor gather- ings of up to 50 people and outdoor up to 100 are now allowed, Schneider noted, which may allow some small events like weddings to go ahead. STORY BEHIND THE STORY: With many people still reluctant to venture out to local businesses in their own commu- nity these days, the region's tourism and marketing corporation is attempting to attract customers by adding some colour to its Eat Local campaign. Continued from page 1 AIM IS TO EVENLY DISTRIBUTE THE CREATIONS ACROSS THE REGION Kristina Bradt, a visual artist from Windsor, decorates a picnic table depicting tube sliding that's usually a summertime activity at Bingemans Big Splash in Kitchener. Bill Jackson/Torstar COMMUNITY