Now is the time for artists – and would-be artists – to put their stamp on the streets of White Rock.
The city’s street banner program is now open for new entries for the 2024-26 window.
Last updated during pandemic-ridden late 2020, the program invites White Rock and South Surrey residents to create designs for the decorative fabric banners that adorn lamp poles in four distinct areas of White Rock.
As the city’s street banner program guide notes, it’s an opportunity to add “vibrancy” with “creative and visually appealing designs that reflect history and culture and create a sense of place.”
And according to city cultural development manager Rebecca Forrest, those submitting original art work for the program – the competition is open up until April 26 – don’t even have to be established artists.
”The idea is to engage community artists, or people who don’t even know they’re artists,” she said.
“They could even be children from the local elementary schools who have come up with a great design,” she noted.
“The different types of media can be everything from photography and digital art to painting, drawing and print-making, so long as it’s original work.”
The 48-inch by 24-inch banners, to be installed in early June in East Beach, West Beach, Five Corners and uptown are intended to express different aspects of the city – and themes geared to each location, Forrest said.
Because each of the banner areas will feature a different design for the summer and winter seasons, a total of eight artists’ creations will be selected, Forrest said, as opposed to only three last time.
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“Each of the artists chosen will receive a $300 honorarium, a banner with their image and will also retain the copyright on the image,” she said.
The East Beach (Marine Drive) competition, however, is open only to Indigenous artists only, she noted – with work that relates to the themes of ‘identity’, ‘history’ and ‘place.’
“We felt it was important that indigenous art was featured in that location,” she said.
“Particularly work by people from the Semiahmoo First Nation, or the several other indigenous groups local to this area.”
For the West Beach area of Marine Drive, the theme is ‘ocean/sea’; for Five Corners, the theme is ‘city by the sea’; and for the uptown area, the theme is arts and culture.
Those making submissions for banners in the months from November to February should also draw inspiration from a winter theme, while those submitting for March through October should contemplate aspects of the spring, summer and fall.
Banners will remain in place for two years until the next application phase of the program, Forrest added.
Applications are available online, and each applicant is allowed up to four submissions.
Although detailed specifications for art work are on the city website, Forrest said people unsure of the processes involved should not feel intimidated about making a submission.
“We will have a graphic artist available to help with questions and making sure that submissions meet the specifications,” she said.
The city is also retaining a graphic artist to create a stand-alone street banner, at Johnson Road and North Bluff Road, specifically to welcome visitors to the city.
“One of the challenges we face with this program is that the lamp poles – and the mounts for the banners, were never standardized,” Forrest said.
“The parks department is working hard right now to make sure all the fittings for the banners are standard.”
Forrest said the program, which originated with the White Rock BIA, shifted to the city’s purview as the BIA became increasingly focused on events to attract people to the area and promote spin-off benefits to local businesses.
“During COVID the city took over the street banner program and I think it’s a perfect fit for the recreation and culture department – and it also supports the aims and objectives of the city’s Public Art and Culture Committee, she added.
“I’m very excited to see what people come up with.”
For full information on specifications and how to submit art, visit whiterockcity.ca/845/Street-Banners