Words While We Wait

In 2020/2021 a call for temporary public art was issued to gather stories from residents about their experience with the COVID-19 pandemic. Called Words While We Wait, this temporary public art initiative placed poetry posters in Kawartha Lakes Public Transit bus shelters as a way to document the community’s experience in a creative and illustrative way. 

Many feel that the biggest connection made during the pandemic and changes since was our relationship with food.  From sour dough starters and backyard gardening to inflationary fallout of food insecurity, and the rise of food delivery to our doors, our connection to food within this agricultural community seemed at an all time high. Now five years later, the city reached out again to gauge feelings and interest in food and our residents did not disappoint.

A six week Call for Submissions was launched on World Poetry Day March 21, 2025 to coincide with ‘April is National Poetry Month’.  It was a creative and community lead way of getting to know how people were feeling and how they would explain the situation. Through a public call, it was hoped that individual and collective experiences of our community would be captured once more.

The project is part of the City’s Economic Development Arts and Culture portfolio. Working with its partner, the Kawartha Arts Network (KAN), selected submissions were paired with a KAN artist, for illustration and installation on City of Kawartha Lakes website, Public Transit system and the main floor of City Hall for viewing.   Exhibits will end December 1, 2025

Without further adieu, please see the chosen submissions for this year's Words While We Wait program: