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Banners on Parade is a community art project that is a collaborative effort of artists, businesses, non-profit organizations, and city government that promotes the arts on Historic Main Street in Placerville, California. It is one of California's longest-running community art projects, with 556 pieces of wonderful community art displayed over the last nineteen years (2005-2023).
In the first year of the exhibit (2005), artist-painted wheelbarrows were displayed (known as Wheelbarrows on Parade); in the second year of the exhibit (2006), artist-painted wine barrels were displayed (known as Wine Barrels on Parade). From 2007 through 2023, artist-painted canvas banners (30"W x 60"H) have been displayed—499 banners have been displayed on Main Street—and the event is called Banners on Parade.
Banners for 2024 will premiere at the Images of Hope El Dorado Luau in the Orchard on Saturday, June 1, and then will be installed on Main Street. They will remain displayed from June through October 2024 and be auctioned online in October 2024. As in past years, keepsakes will be available: posters, postcards, coffee mugs, magnets, and bookmarks.
This community art project began in early 2005 with the formation of the Placerville Art on Parade Committee, headed up by the idea’s originator, Barbara Holmes. She and the dedicated committee decided to focus the art efforts on wheelbarrows during that first year since wheelbarrows had historical significance for Placerville (John M. Studebaker, who was one of the founders of the Studebaker Automobile Company, began his career in Placerville making wheelbarrows for miners). Placerville’s 2005 Wheelbarrows on Parade was a success, with 28 artistic wheelbarrows created by artists in the community and displayed on the sidewalks of Placerville's Historic Main Street.
In 2006, wanting to do something different, yet wanting to reflect one of our area’s strongest assets and industries, the committee decided on wine barrels. That year, 29 artists used wine barrels for their “canvas”. The 2006 Wine Barrels on Parade display on the sidewalks of Main Street was a great success.
In 2007, largely due to the input of one of our committee members, Paige VanSickle, we tried two-dimensional artwork for the first time. We solicited local artists to paint 30” by 60” canvas banners that would be displayed on light poles along Main Street. 27 beautifully-painted banners were displayed for the 2007 Banners on Parade.
The success of the banners in 2007 helped the committee decide on canvas banners again for 2008. We had 30 beautiful artistic banners displayed along Placerville’s Historic Main Street during the 2008 Banners on Parade.
In 2009, we had banners that 34 artists created and were displayed on Main Street for the 2009 Banners on Parade.
We had 32 banners for the 2010 Banners on Parade.
We had 31 banners for the 2011 Banners on Parade. In 2011, we dedicated the 2011 Banners on Parade exhibition to one of our beloved committee members, Geoff Boyd, who passed away about the time the 2011 exhibition went on display. That fall, an anonymous benefactor donated money for an annual award (the Geoff Boyd Memorial Award) that is presented each year to one of the artists.
For the 2012 Banners on Parade, we had a total of 38 banners on display
For 2013, we had 32 banners on display.
In our tenth year (2014), we had 32 banners on display for the 2014 Banners on Parade.
For our 2015 Banners on Parade, we had 29 Banners displayed on Main Street.
For the 2016 Banners on Parade, we had 23 Banners displayed on Main Street.
For the 2017 Banners on Parade, we had 27 Banners on Main Street.
For the 2018 Banners on Parade, we had 24 banners on Main Street.
For the 2019 Banners on Parade, we had 27 banners on Main Street.
For the 2020 Banners on Parade, we had 28 banners on Main Street.
For the 2021 Banners on Parade, we had 32 banners on Main Street.
For the 2022 Banners on Parade, we had 27 banners on Main Street.
For the 2023 Banners on Parade, we had 26 banners on Main Street.
In addition to the 28 wheelbarrows the first year (2005) and 29 wine barrels the second year (2006), we have had a total of 499 banners displayed on Historic Main Street over the last 19 years, for a grand total of 556 pieces of community art all created by our wonderful local artists. It’s people that have made this endeavor work—artists, sponsors, and our great committee members!
If you would like more information about Banners on Parade, email PlacervilleArtonParade@gmail.com or call 530-306-3615.