As we honour National Indigenous Peoples Day, we are proud to highlight the piano outside our space painted by First Nation artists Coralee Miller of the Syilx Okanagan Nation and Barb Dawson of the Tlinget Nation. The RCA is a 2022 Pianos in Parks Ambassador, a program bringing the beauty of music to the streets of downtown Kelowna. National Indigenous Peoples Day gives us the opportunity to learn more about the rich and diverse cultures, experiences, and histories of Indigenous peoples. The RCA takes pride in being able to display these pieces of art created by two talented Indigenous artists from within our community. We continue to advocate for an environment that values and supports Indigenous culture and Indigenous artists. The Rotary Centre for the Arts is situated on the unceded and traditional territories of the Syilx/Okanagan People.⁠

Let’s fill the streets of Kelowna with beautiful music. You are invited to the Rotary Commons Park in front of the RCA to tickle the ivories of the Pianos in the Park piano sponsored by the RCA. Festivals Kelowna has rolled out its annual “Pianos in Parks” program by placing artistically decorated pianos on Kelowna’s streets and public spaces including the piano at the RCA, an annual program that beautifies public spaces throughout Kelowna.

“Pianos in Parks has become one of our most treasured and memorable initiatives,” explains Renata Mills, Executive Director with Festivals Kelowna. “When we first launched the program in 2015 we knew we had something special on our hands.”

The pianos play a dual purpose to not only animate public spaces, but to also become temporary pieces of public art. These pianos have been hand-painted by local artists with original, unique designs. Each year multiple Okanagan artists participate by painting a piano in their artistic style. The piano at the RCA has been painted by First Nation artists Coralee Miller of the Syilx Okanagan Nation and Barb Dawson of the Tlinget Nation. Coralee graduated from UBCO in 2021 with her BFA, creating works regarding personal cultural interpretations of traditional stories and nature. Barb is also a UBCO BFA graduate, originally from the Yukon now residing in Kelowna. Her works reflect her cultural background and childhood, often drawing from memories of her ancestors. 

Coralee Miller & Barb Dawson

The program is supported by local organizations called “Piano Ambassadors” who not only contribute to the financial cost of producing the program but also keep a watchful eye on their condition. Other pianos in the community are proudly sponsored by our friends at the Downtown Kelowna Association, Wentworth Music, and the Uptown Rutland Association. Thank you to Keystone Music, a long-time program partner for sourcing and evaluating donated pianos, delivering all pianos to their spots, and providing ongoing support through the summer with piano maintenance.

Stop by and play us a tune!