A big flipping deal: We Live Up Here and Barrydowne Paint receive national award
We Live Up Here and Barrydowne Paint received national recognition as the 2024 Community Impact Award winners at the prestigious Business / Arts Awards Celebration, held at the Art Gallery of Ontario on Monday, October 28.
This award celebrates exceptional partnerships between businesses and the arts, highlighting leaders, volunteers, and organizations who have made lasting contributions to the Canadian arts landscape. This year, National Public Relations proudly sponsored the award.
Kelly Scott, owner of Barrydowne Paint, and Jaymie Lathem, general manager of We Live Up Here.
This award honours a partnership that started in 2012—years before Up Here was a festival and before We Live Up Here was even officially non-profit. Armed with colour swatches and a bold idea for a mural in downtown Sudbury, We Live Up Here walked into Barrydowne Paint. Kelly Scott, the owner, took one look at the palette and said, “I don’t know what you’re doing, but hell yeah, I’m in.” A few weeks later, the You Are Beautiful mural went upon Durham Street in downtown Sudbury. That moment marked the beginning of a friendship and partnership that has brought over 100 public art pieces to life across Sudbury, transforming the city’s landscape and inspiring the community.
“This is a big flipping deal for us. Up Here’s ambitious mural projects simply wouldn’t be possible without Barrydowne Paint. They’ve supported us every step of the way, turning our vision of Sudbury as an urban art capital into reality. Standing on a national stage last Monday, we celebrated not just a partnership but a shared commitment to making art accessible, engaging, and woven into the very fabric of our community. It’s proof that big things can happen in northern spaces.” ”
Together, We Live Up Here and Barrydowne Paint have reshaped Sudbury, turning its downtown into an open-air gallery that welcomes visitors and locals alike.
From left to right: Jaymie Lathem, general manager of We Live Up Here; Brian Pearl, managing partner at NATIONAL Public Relations; and Kelly Scott, owner of Barrydowne Paint.
“The transformative power of paint has always motivated us. We’ve all experienced first-hand the transformative power that a fresh coat of paint has on a space. Partnering with We Live Up Here has allowed us to extend that impact to the heart of our city, revitalizing it in meaningful, lasting ways.”
Barrydowne Paint has provided paint, expertise, and an unwavering spirit, proving that when community and creativity meet, extraordinary things happen.
We Live Up Here is an urban arts organization in Sudbury, Ontario, formed around the idea that art can inspire, transform, and playfully reshape our community. Through their Up Here festival, the non-profit organization brings together muralists, musicians, and installation artists each summer to turn downtown Sudbury into an urban art gallery.
Barrydowne Paint, a family-owned store in Sudbury, Ontario, has been providing high-quality Benjamin Moore paints and expert advice since 1981. Known for personalized service, their team brings extensive experience to support both residential and commercial clients with a wide range of interior and exterior paints, stains, and supplies.
