This artist is giving away free items every Saturday

Anyone passing by the Rotary Centre for the Arts on Saturday may have noticed an odd vehicle parked out front.

It was playing what some might deem annoying ice cream music. A large goose atop the trailer spun in circles, and a neon sign hung on the side, and simply read, ‘free gifts.’

The HAPPY DAY FREE GIFT TRUCK is a mobile gift-giving unit and temporary public art display. It will be parked in the Rotary Commons (between the Rotary Centre for the Arts and the Kelowna Art Gallery) every Saturday for the next few weeks.

The project is the brainchild of Kelowna’s Artist in Residence, Patrick Lundeen. He received a grant from the city to produce a project about social inclusion.

“Meeting people and giving people things, I love that, I love generosity,” he told Kelowna10 on his inaugural gift-giving Saturday.

He plans to distribute 100 free gifts each week between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m., or until he runs out.

“The idea behind it is that it can connect people from different walks of life… everyone can get a free gift,” Lundeen explained. “We can give to people something to eat, something to wear, a little toy, and hopefully [people] will interact with each other and become connected in some way.”

Each week Lundeen will be handing out a different gift

During Kelowna10’s visit, gift getters received small treasures like t-shirts, hats, art, snacks and juice, balloons, and mood rings. All the items were gifted to Lundeen from his various sponsors, like the Kelowna Art Gallery, UBCO, and Kelowna Gospel Mission, among others.

Besides the external flair, Lundeen is keen to use his voice to attract people to the odd contraption, too.

“I just yell at them from the window and say, ‘come over and get your free gift and come and say hello to me,’ he said. “The best is when somebody doesn’t seem excited about it at first and you trick them into coming to see you, and then suddenly, they think it’s funny and get a smile from it.”

Lundeen will be hanging out until Nov. 19

“Please, please, come down and get a free gift from me,” Lundeen said. “I’d love to see you; I’d love to meet you, and I want you to come down and see me.”