Event cancellations, business closures, reduced tourist trade, supply shortages. Even in a town that thus far hasn't taken much of a direct COVID-19 hit, it's been a seriously tough summer.
Yet even through the worst of it, there have been bright lights. And few have burned brighter than the Penticton Art Gallery, where, even in the midst of a pandemic, the art and the allure of a soft-spoken TV painter who died a quarter century ago have proven unstoppable.
Indeed, the appropriately titled "Happy Little Accidents," with just six days left in its run, has been the Gallery's most visited exhibit since current curator Paul Crawford came aboard 14 years ago.
"I did have high expectations for Bob Ross," said Crawford yesterday, "though I'm not sure if the average citizen got it right away. But we've had between 175 and 200 people a day. We're on track for 15,000 people, if not more."
"With a show that really catches on, we'll generally see maybe five to 7,000 people. So this has been crazy."
Crawford said he's regularly seen people from as far away as Terrace, Vancouver Island, Edmonton and Winnipeg, who've come to Penticton primarily for a taste of that Ross magic.
And the crowd, he says, has been "all over the map."
"A lot of kids, elementary to high school, bringing their parents. I know of one guy who stood in line for 2 1/2 hours while his kids played in the park. A lot of kids think Bob Ross is the coolest, chillest dude."
Crawford has a theory why Accidents, which includes a custom-built 80's-style living room where guests can watch Ross's celebrated "The Joy of Painting," has reached such heights.
"For the adults, I think nostalgia is certainly one thing. People are trying to get back in touch with their creativity, especially during a pandemic. We even had a booming business in the adult art classes.
"But the reason I think Bob Ross is having this resurgence, and it's the same for Mr. Rogers too, is that they're defining the new sense of masculinity. It's not that hyper masculinity that we've had rammed own our throats for so long, the guy who can lift a bus off somebody in an accident.
"Seeing kids today and that gender fluidity and that openness to a more sensitive outlook on life - I can see that appeal in Bob."
When the doors finally close to Happy Little Accidents on the 13th, Gallery staff kicks into high gear for its next opening, on Sept. 18th. And while it may lack some of the laidback Bob Ross whimsy, it looks no less interesting and certainly no less pertinent.
In the Main Gallery is "To Talk With Others," the exhibit originally scheduled for summer before the pandemic pushed everything forward. Featuring the work of several Yukon-based artists and coming from the Yukon Art Centre, it's a thought-provoking study of Indigenous land claim issues.
But what really caught PentictonNow's eye is the show set for the Project Room. Entitled "You Are Not Alone," it's essentially a worldwide compilation of visual, audio, and digital works that centre on COVID-19.
"COVID is the first time in history when everyone on earth is experiencing the same thing," said Crawford. "So I put out a call to artists around the world to document their COVID experience."
"Some of the countries couldn't even mail here. So we had an address in Berlin and another in Nice, France. We already have more than 200 entries from 120 individual artists, and we're getting a package from Berlin this week with more art from places like Africa and Scandinavia."
After the show, the Gallery will package up You Are Not Alone and send it on tour to Europe.
Accompanying the two central exhibits in the Toni Onley Gallery are "181 Days and Counting," a series of pointed quarantine-related cartoons by ex-Georgia Straight cartoonist Dirk Van Stralen, and Edward Mapplethorpe's "American Cycle," a commentary on both COVID and the upcoming US election.
Crawford's not kidding when he says, "I think our exhibitions are on point with what's going on in the greater world."
But in the meantime, there's six more days of Bob Ross. A suggested donation of $5 will get you in the door. Masks are mandatory. Check out the Gallery website for more information.
