Community Rock Painting Project, Born in Lockdown, Achieves Global Reach

An art initiative that began during lockdown, involving residents painting and concealing rocks, has expanded internationally. The “Consett Rocks” project originated in County Durham during the pandemic with the goal of motivating individuals to engage in outdoor activities. Four years later, the participant community continues to expand, with painted rocks being discovered in distant locations such as Amsterdam and New York. Aimee Wilson, a participant who paints rocks alongside her son, expressed her enjoyment of being an “anonymous rock hider”. She stated, “We feel a sense of joy when we see someone has found them, we like the idea of making someone’s day.” Another painter commented that it was a “special feeling” that the group’s purpose was not-for-profit, but rather to bring happiness to individuals. The associated Facebook group was established by Stephanie Marie Winter and her aunt, Victoria Morris, in 2020 during the lockdown period. Participants were encouraged to adorn their rocks, inscribe “Facebook: Consett Rocks” on the reverse side, and then conceal them within the local vicinity. The online page rapidly populated with members displaying their creations and reporting discoveries of others’ rocks, prior to re-hiding them. Ms. Winter explained that the initiative’s objective was to “help with anxiety, to help encourage the community to go outside again and get creative”. She also noted that rocks had been found in locations as distant as Amsterdam. Mandie Guthrie shared that the project provided support during challenging periods of the pandemic. At that time, she had experienced the loss of her mother and was unemployed for the first time due to the lockdown. Ms. Guthrie remarked, “I gave so many people lots of joy and got them out the house.” She added, “The photos that would be put on Facebook and the smiles on the children’s faces said it all.” She further mentioned that her own painted rocks had reached destinations as far as New York. She concluded, “Painting rocks is my happy place and everyone in the group that joins in makes it that much more special.”