A program that made a piano available for the public to play downtown Grand Forks is coming back after falling dormant for a few years.
Avery Vogel spoke to city council last week about a proposal to relaunch the Boundary Street Piano Project, billed as a “low cost, high community engagement activity.”
Vogel, who is the project’s founder and co-ordinator, asked for some funding and permission to place a piano on Market Avenue near 3rd Street, or near city hall.
Vogel said the program had a strong community response when it was launched in 2020. It eventually disappeared because of other things going on in Vogel’s life, including school, but Vogel said there has been a demand to bring it back.
“These pianos are available for anybody to play,” Vogel said. “We originally launched with a really strong community response, and our main goal is to foster creativity, connection, accessibility, and the love of music.”
About $600 to $850 is required to cover essential costs, including piano tuning, promotion, storage, moving, shelter, a lock and chain, and incidentals, Vogel said.
Vogel is now living in Vancouver but working the Boundary Chamber of Commerce and seeking volunteers and business involvement.
The piano is presently stored in the Boardroom Cafe. Vogel said they are looking to create a semi-portable shelter that would be mounted to the back of the piano and also hoping to expand the program to other areas including Greenwood.
Council referred the request to its budget deliberations.
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