GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Celebrating the painting of pianos across our community, five donated pianos were moved to public locations throughout Green Bay in partnership with five neighborhood associations for the Tarlton Theatre’s “Keys to the City” event.
“What inspired this is we wanted to be able to bring affordable, accessible art and cultural programs to this city,” said Tarl Knight, Owner of The Tarlton Theatre. “When we go into the community to beautify it or to provide art and music, something that we wanted to do with this event is make it interactive and inspirational.”
Rachel Warpinski said it was about so much more than just the artwork itself, but Knight’s vision of bringing the community together to appreciate and embrace the art and culture in the City of Green Bay.
Warpinski’s art reflected the connection of community and the arts by having community kids take part in her artwork.
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“They’re experiencing it for the first time, and they’re so curious and because I’ve got so many kids involved with it, I’ve already seen a sense of pride about it,” explained Warpinski. “They come up, they’re looking for their hand, and just the look on their face is priceless!”
Kelsey Lutzow is the President of the Joannes Park Neighborhood Association and said that many of the kids she saw throughout the day were in awe because they had never played a piano before and now it’s free for them to enjoy.
“We’re kind of working on getting more art incorporated into this neighborhood so we’re happy to be a part of this,” stated Lutzow. “As a neighborhood, we were like ‘Well what can we do to contribute to the event so we have free food here today,’ and we have some sidewalk chalk and bubbles for the kids and just trying to make it a fun atmosphere for everyone.”
Below is a list of all the artists, musicians, and Green Bay parks that worked in partnership with The Tarlton Theatre:
- 8th Street Park Pavilion (508 8th St.)
Shipyard Neighborhood Association
Painter: Carli Ihde
Performer: Dani Maus - Seymour Park Pavilion (303 S. Ashland Ave.)
Seymour Park Neighborhood Association
Painter: Rachel Warpinski
Performer: Good for the Soul - The CityDeck (301 N. Washington St.)
Downtown Neighborhood Association
Painter: Megan Jain
Performer: The Gentleman Grifters - Astor Park Pavilion (1100 Porlier St.)
Astor Neighborhood Association
Painter: Nate Smith
Performer: Hale & Hall - Joannes Park Community Policing Center (215 S. Baird St.)
Joannes Park Neighborhood Association
Painter: Jake Phelps
Performer: Ramona & The Flower
Tarl Knight said that he hopes that the love and appreciation for art and culture in the community and the City of Green Bay continues to grow.
“This kind of event is such a metropolitan and urban success in other cities across the U.S. so it’s about time that Green Bay got its own art and culture of a heartbeat going here,” said Knight.
To find out about upcoming events or learn more about The Tarlton Theatre, visit their website.
