Other Island communities have landmarks they’re known for: Duncan has the totems; Chemainus has the murals.
In Campbell River it’s the carvings, the product of the annual Transformations on the Shore carving competition which returns June 22-26 for the 25th time.
Starting at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, June 22, participating carvers will have until Sunday noon to “transform” raw logs into works of art at Frank James Park on the shores of Discovery Passage.
This year will be a bit different due to the lingering effects of the pandemic. Instead of the usual competition there will be six carvers who will each create a bench which will be placed around the city for all to enjoy. It will not be a competition and there will be no prizes, each carver will receive a stipend instead.
Donors and sponsors are important to the event. In exchange for either cash donations or in-kind donations sponsors will have their names on plaques attached to each of the benches. Examples of in-kind donations are the logs, delivery of the logs, set up of the logs moving the carvings after the event, accommodation for out-of-town carvers, a generator just to name a few.
The competition’s operating budget is made up of grants from the Province of British Columbia, the City of Campbell River and corporate sponsors. These funds will be used for carvers stipends, insurance, permits, equipment rental and administrative costs related to the event.
For more information, visit www.crshorelinearts.ca.
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