The Campbell River Arts Council is literally doubling its efforts for this year’s community banner project.
The council was recently awarded a Canada 150 Grant in support of its proposal, “150 Banners for 150 Years,” which will see the organization produce – you guessed it – 150 banners to be hung throughout the community this summer in celebration of the country’s 150th birthday.
The Campbell River Arts Council, according to Executive Director Ken Blackburn, has been doing the community banner project, “since the early 90s.”
“It’s something Campbell River should be proud of, I think,” Blackburn continues, “because we resisted the temptation, as a community, to go down the route of mass producing a logo or labeled banner that hangs throughout town, which you see in a lot of communities now.
“We’ve stuck with our vision of having our own school kids and our own community groups have their art up on the streets instead.”
But they’ve never done this many at once. Not even close.
“It’s a big undertaking, that’s for sure,” Blackburn says.
In order to make it happen, the arts council has hired two coordinators – they usually only have one for the banner project – to help get the community involved.
The banners, once completed, will be hung around town from June through October.
Exactly where they will be hung is yet to be decided, however.
Blackburn says there will also be some scheduled painting days down at Sybil Andrews Cottage in Willow Point where people can come paint a banner or just share in the excitement.
For more information on the banner project, contact the arts council by email at admin@crarts.ca or by phone at 250-923-0213.