Greenways Land Trust and the Campbell River Arts Council are collaborating on a set of banners to deck out Campbell River’s streets.
“The Arts Council has been facilitating the banner project for 32 years,” said Jessica Clarke, the outreach coordinator for this year’s project. “It’s an opportunity for members of the community to try to use art in a visual display with community art to show how they want to visually represent Campbell River loving nature.”
This year’s banner project theme is “Campbell River Cares About Nature.” The Arts Council has partnered with Greenways Land Trust to promote the project, which will involve over 100 banners created by local kids, families, organizations and artists. Throughout the summer and fall, they will be enjoyed on the streets of Willow Point, Pier Street, Shoppers Row, St. Ann’s Road, Spirit Square and The Spit.
“We’re always looking for partnerships and ways to increase public awareness of our work,” said Jeff Groat from Greenways Land Trust. “We’re asking people to show us all the ways they care about nature in the city, and it is really clear that Campbell River does care about nature. That’s why people come to the city, whether they move here or they come to visit as tourists. There’s lots of green spaces available to enjoy, and we want to show that it’s there and that we take pride in it.”
This is the 32nd iteration of the annual project. Funding for materials was provided by the City of Campbell River, and the city also handles installation of the banners. The paint is provided by the Sherwin-Williams paint store in the Discovery Harbour Shopping Centre.
“They have enthusiastically been involved in the past and we certainly couldn’t do this without paint,” a release from the Campbell River Arts Council says.
“It’s a really accessible and democratic way to allow people to express themselves and to raise awareness as a community, as opposed to it being a top-down thing,” Groat said. “It’s very much a Community Driven thing, which is why it’s so exciting for us.”
Participants receive paint and materials, as well as a list of topics that are essentially jumping off points. From there, participants have until May 16 to complete their artwork. The goal is to have the banners hung throughout the city by the summer.
“You have an opportunity to get the mind thinking about community,” Clarke said. “It’s a really great way to pull everyone together and to do it in a beautiful way that you get to see all throughout Campbell River.”
All banners must be completed and delivered to Sybil Andrews Cottage by Thursday, May 16. If you cannot commit to this timing, it would be better to leave it for next year, so that someone else can have a turn. Each painter must register here to reserve a banner kit.
Banner Coordinator Jessica Clarke will connect with all registrants about picking it up. Clarke says that as of Friday, April 12 there are eight banners remaining.
To register, visit the Campbell River Arts Council website here.
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