KELOWNA, B.C. — Five decorated upright pianos are available for free in Kelowna, B.C., but don't expect to tickle their ivories.
The pianos are among several set in outdoor spaces across the city as part of its Pianos in the Park program, but Mother Nature played havoc with them by sending a soggy start to the Okanagan summer.
Program spokeswoman Lisa Brown says five pianos must be retired because they no longer stay in tune after rain warped keys and swelled internal workings.
Although the pianos can't be played, she says the city doesn't want to see them in the landfill, suggesting they would make great planters or landscape art.
Each is painted with a unique theme, such as the Cheshire Cat piano, which has already found a home.
The outdoor piano program began almost 10 years ago in England and has spread around the globe, with numerous Canadian cities offering the chance to break down barriers by meeting over music.
Brown says Kelowna pianos that still need a home include the Landscape Piano by Okanagan artist Cythnia Gunsinger, the Museum Piano, featuring heritage photos of the city, and also one adorned with characters from Disney's "Finding Nemo."
"The last one is the one which is currently living in the tunnel (in a downtown park), which has been nicknamed the Pink Flower Piano, the Tunnel Piano, the Scooby Doo Piano. It's pink and has bright daisies all over it and has chalk paint on it as well," she says.
