(Host) Want to buy a train?
Fifty-seven brightly decorated wooden engines, and even a few masonry ones, will be auctioned off in Rutland Saturday night.
It’s the end of the line for Rutland’s “All Aboard” Community Art project.
VPR’s Nina Keck has more.
(Keck) Seeing how successful other communities had been with street art projects, Rutland decided to get on board with their own. But rather than paint cows, pigs or lamas, organizers in Rutland wanted the project to reflect the city’s railroad heritage.
Maryanne Goulette is Executive Director of the Rutland Downtown Partnership – which organized the project.
(Goulette) “It really struck with people young and old. I mean kids love train. It’s something that everybody could identify with and it’s truly what Rutland is all about. And I think once we chose that object the project really took off.”
(Keck) Local toymaker Michael Divoll built the wooden engines and 59 artists from the area turned them into works or art. Last April, they made their debut in a parade that drew thousands to downtown Rutland. The trains have been on display in the city ever since. Saturday night at Rutland’s historic Paramount Theater, they’ll be together again for the last time before being auctioned off. All proceeds from the project will be used to promote local arts groups, arts education and city beautification projects.
For Vermont Public Radio, I’m Nina Keck in Rutland.