Few of us have been on Main Street in Bethel lately, but when you do get there, make you sure you check out all the new artwork. Some very crafty people have turned much of downtown into an open-air art gallery, with artwork left on buildings, in window boxes, on trees, even on the ground. Keep your eyes open next time you stop to pick up a meal, do your laundry, grab hardware or groceries, or when you walk your dog by the Town Hall parking lot; there’s no telling what sort of cool artwork you might find!
But who are these community-minded artists who are leaving gifts for everyone to enjoy? What’s their purpose in decorating Bethel? We were curious, so we followed the clues and learned the identity of one of the mystery artists. Here’s why she’s making art and giving it away.
Ellie Prestridge lives in Bethel and attends White River Valley High School in South Royalton. You might know Ellie from her family’s popular Bethel University classes; she and her little brother, Zac, and their parents have been teaching kids and adults how to do and make cool things for the past several years. A maker and artist who really enjoys sharing her work, Ellie created some of the paintings that have been popping up in unexpected places around downtown lately.
I’m betting that lots of people reading this story have been bored the past month or more — stuck at home, unable to see friends — and so was Ellie. To help her get through it, Ellie started painting on canvas, then on boards and chunks of wood. Most recently, at her mom’s suggestion, she moved on to rocks because she had run out of other things to paint.
People all over the country paint “kindness rocks” that offer encouraging messages or sayings. They leave these rocks anywhere they think someone will find them — on a hiking trail, in a schoolyard, anywhere. Whoever finds the rocks can take them home to keep, leave them where they found them, or move them to another spot for someone else to find. Ellie says her rocks are more “boredom rocks” than kindness rocks, but she’s happy if they go home with someone and brighten their day. Painting rocks has become a new hobby, and Ellie hopes that her rocks will spread some joy and color downtown.
She says that she paints whatever inspires her, but sometimes a rock will have a certain shape that reminds her of something and the rock itself becomes the inspiration. For instance, there’s a rounded rock depicting a fierce-looking shark coming up out of the water, and a rock that looks just like the avocado that’s painted on it! Enrich your walk through downtown by trying to find them.
If, like Ellie was, you’re bored with being at home, she suggests that you go back to a hobby you tried a while ago, maybe something you have the materials for already, and try that again. Or just try something totally new! Making art is a great way to deal with the boredom and anxiety of being in quarantine, but making music, running and walking, reading and writing, and cooking and baking are too. We hope you’ll be inspired by Ellie to do whatever appeals to you to help you get through this tough time. And if you want to tell us what you’re doing to fight boredom while you’re stuck at home, send us an email; maybe we’ll publish your ideas in a future newsletter!