In its eighth season, 2020, Canvas Pontiac continues its efforts to bring art and culture to the community. Last year one hundred artists submitted their works for display. Twenty-five of those made it through the initial jury to be showcased on large 8×10′ canvases on buildings throughout Downtown Pontiac.
The arts are alive in downtown Pontiac. For our contributing artists it has always been a sense of pride to have their art enlarged to large 8’x10′ canvases, but this year, thanks to the partnership with the DIA, the artists were validated even further by having the DIA logo placed on their canvassed art.
Through a partnership program, the Main Street Pontiac “Canvas Pontiac” program has fostered the arts throughout Downtown. For two years running Pontiac welcomed the DIA Inside|Out program showing the masters of the DIA to Pontiac thanks to funding from the Kauffman Foundation. With incredible passion, the program has continued to foster, and for the third year in 2017, the DIA has outreached through Canvas Pontiac to demonstrate how tax funding can bring arts to a community like Pontiac.
Art-related business ventures are also seeing their rise as part of our artistic community returning such as artist lofts and art businesses. You may have heard of some of the most recent projects including the development of the PLAT (Pontiacs’ Little Art Theater) at 47 N. Saginaw. You can feel the arts coming back.
Last year’s programs invited over 500 people to walk our downtown on several tours to explore what we have to offer, and the art we display is seen daily by 18,000 commuters. Canvas Pontiac’s art awakening is doing its job in helping people “Discover the Spirit of Pontiac”.