Art in Motion brought talent, colour, demos and more downtown on Saturday, from creative activities and glimpses into history, to ball hockey, a foam pit and a cultural mosaic.--News Photo Anna Smith
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat’s Art in Motion event on Saturday was a vivid demonstration of how art permeates every aspect of the city.
From artists demonstrating their talent on billboards next to young Hatters trying their hand at graffiti, Art in Motion filled First Street with music, colour and laughter all afternoon.
The day featured various vendors offering everything from prints and stickers to pottery and baking, while wandering performers had chance encounters with festival-goers as they waited in line for food trucks.
“Art is in absolutely everything,” said Patty Rooks, senior scientific consultant Praxis Science Outreach Society in between inviting children to try a small hands-on experiment. “This really shows how it just permeates every aspect of life. We have painters and people drawing, but we also have music, theatre and fashion. There’s a reason why STEM is moving towards STEAM, to include how the arts are everywhere.”
In Ewart Duggan house, performers from Live History put on an interactive quest, inviting visitors to uncover facts about the house during a live re-enactment of a housewarming party hosted by its initial inhabitants. A short walk away, Saamis immigration offered a cultural catwalk, having Hatters from around the world show off their cultural dress and contemporary style alike.
New this year was the high-energy ball hockey arena, Sticks on First, in support of the YMCA. This 10-team, 4-on-4 tournament kept energy high all afternoon.
The day also included various children’s activities, such as colouring, creative play such as box sculpture, window painting and a selfie doodle station, as well as opportunities to have plain old fun like the ever-popular foam pit.
