Well-known Prince George faces will be featured in an arts calendar fundraiser by the Prince George and District Community Arts Council and the Prince George Public Library.
The theme for the project is literacy and several local artists will put their creative take on the message including broad references to literature, pop culture, arts, the environment and diversity.
"This is a new venture for us," said Lisa Redpath, project coordinator for the arts council. "The calendar will feature great art on a human canvas."
Milan Basic painted a graffiti-style image Wednesday morning on the face and shoulders of Jennifer Pighin, a PGSS art teacher and active local artist in her own right. He followed that up Wednesday afternoon by painting a stylized newspaper onto the face of Citizen publisher Colleen Sparrow.
Basic is best known for his local graffiti art at the Groop Gallery and his latest work at the soccer fields.
"I like the opportunity to be creative and bring things to people's attention in unique ways -- I like things that are different," said Basic, who's done plenty of body painting. "It's public art in a sense and it's intimate and personal."
Each painting session will take about four hours. Then Alex Zander is adding his artistic input by photographing the models for the calendar.
"I'm happy to be part of this community project and working with so many in the arts community in Prince George," said Zander. "It'll be interesting to see how it turns out and see everyone's interpretation of the literacy theme."
Sparrow was happy to put her face forward for the fundraising project.
"At the Citizen we believe promoting literacy is very important so we support Raise-A-Reader in the fall," she said. "This fundraiser will go towards supporting literacy and the arts. We're pleased to partner with these community-minded organizations."
Proceeds will be divided equally between the library and arts council with the library's funds going towards the development of the Knowledge Garden and the arts council's into general programming.
Other local artists taking on the challenge include Betty Kovacic, Pighin, Chrystie Tarr, Keith Carlson, Shauna Harper, Corey Hardeman, Mandy Paavola, Grace Kostamo, Cara Roberts, Andrea Shaurer and Crystal Desharnais.
Other well-known faces that will featured in the calendar include MLA Shirley Bond; Stuart Ballantyne, chief executive officer of 2015 Canada Winter Games; Mayor Shari Green; former mayor Colin Kinsley; Kal Basi of Northland Dodge, public health officer Dr. William Osei; former city councillor Shirley Gratton; UNBC president George Iwama; Darrell Hubbell, the 2011 Citizen of the Year, and morning radio show hosts Mike and Ashley.
The calendar will be pre-sold during the summer and orders will be filled in October.
"The calendar is a different spin on fundraising, it's artistic, it's literary, it's something everybody uses," said Redpath of the calendar, which will be laid out by Indigo Designs.
To pre-purchase the $25 calendar, call the library at 563 9251 ext. 126 or Studio 2880 at 250-562-6935.
