Outdoor art on display at Ruby West

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This article was published 02/03/2021 (1785 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Wolseley restaurant has cooked up a creative way to keep the community connected during the dreary days of the pandemic.

The Ruby West restaurant, located at 898 Westminster Ave., now has an outdoor art installation on display for all to enjoy while also reflecting on the impacts of COVID-19.

In the coldest days of winter, restaurant staff transformed the patio into an artistic avenue of reflection, complete with script-work signs created by local artist Kal Barteski.

Community members were invited to take photos with the artwork and post them on the restaurant’s social media sites, along with answers to four questions related to the pandemic: What have you learned? What do you miss? What do you hope for? What will you change?

Restaurant staff selected responses and wrote them down on strips of ribbon, which now dangle from strings of patio lights.

Jamie Hilland, one of the owners of The Ruby West, explained the impetus for the project.

“We basically wanted to find a way to connect with our customers in our community during this time. We are a very community-focused restaurant, and we know that we can’t be physically together right now,” he said.

“For a lot of people who came in, even to get takeout over the past couple months, that’s their only social time and that’s their connection. They were expressing stories of isolation and loneliness — and also some lessons learned and some observations during this time.”

The staff and owners decided they wanted to share some of these sentiments in a public space that’s accessible to everyone.

“We came up with the idea of jotting down some of those comments and thoughts and shared observations on ribbon. People have been submitting their ideas either in person when they come to get takeout or on social media or sending emails as well,” he said.

“We’ve hung them on our patio, and we’ve had lots of people come down and take a look. I’ve seen some good conversations with families processing what the pandemic has meant to them.”

At the same time, the art exhibit also encourages everyone to get outdoors and enjoy the winter months.

“Our good friend Kal Barteski did some scripts on boards that add to the experience about embracing winter and getting outside. We want people to be doing that as much as they can for many reasons and to make sure that we’re reflecting upon those experiences,” Hilland said.

“We really see ourselves as a community hub, so this is a way that we can still play that role.”