The Buzz at the Bus Stop

The bus stop at the Abbeyview shops was where it was at for Nicola's stall at the Abbeyview Festival on Sun 23rd August. Nicola, Hanna and I adorned the bus stop with paper chains, crows and cardboard house which blew in the familiar hill top wind. Armed with materials for colouring in and making paper chains at one end of the shelter and project memorabilia at the other end, we drummed up business.

Nicola wanted to create an evolving exhibition by asking young and old to colour her drawing of a chair and have it displayed in a frame on the windows of the shelter. For their efforts they received a choice of specially designed badges, cloth bags, the SEE EYE book, Stevie Jacksons 7" record and entered into the competition to win one of four golden chairs Nicola had made for the Take A Seat project. Four Runners up received children's chairs which we decorated on the day with vinyl designs.

Being on the peripheral of the festival made the art stand an event within the event, people got word of something up at the bus stop, kids told other kids and by word of mouth our bright paper-chained oasis became a bit of a destination. Kids loved choosing their colour of frame and seeing their artwork on display straight away, for all to see, parents loved the wee seat on the wall while it all went on.

At 4pm quite a crowd gathered back at the bus stop to hear the winning entries and collect the artwork to take home for their wall. Piece by piece the exhibition dissolved just as it had evolved until only the paper chains were left moving in the breeze, seeming to symbolise all those who walked up to us and creating our link to the festival through the people of Abbeyview, just as it should be. (The Lamb)