During week five, the last week of banner painting for Gibsons, the project's volunteer organizer, Connie Johnston, is as pleased as punch.
"What I want is people's best," she said.
And she got it. The hand-painted banners look smashing.
This year, 29 artists were involved to produce approximately 70 banners that will hang from fixtures in both Upper Gibsons and Lower Gibsons in the summer months during the next two years.
Many volunteers stepped forward to paint banners based on submitted and juried designs. Those who could not be present to paint their designs were assigned volunteers who completed the paintings in their absence.
Painters were involved from as far away as North Vancouver and Whistler and also included three banners from Pender Harbour's Ken Walters, an experienced illustrator. About 14 of the painters were new to the project, including one as young as 12 who was encouraged by older family members, and two staff members from the Town of Gibsons. Some of the new painters showed their commitment by taking time out from their day jobs to paint more than one banner.
Several stalwart veterans of previous banner projects turned up with brush in hand: Claire Finlayson has turned in some gorgeous flowers, Cindy Buis painted starfish, and artist Greta Guzek painted her favourite crows.
The banners show a continuity of colour using a rainbow palette of red, orange, green, blue, purple and a diversity of themes from boats to flowers, from birds to fish. The theme is left up to the artist's imagination, but the depictions are of aspects of life in the Town of Gibsons. Each design was selected by a jury and then projected onto a fabric tough enough to withstand the weather. The pieces, with their traced designs, were then hung on banner frames made years ago by the late Eric Small, former mayor of Gibsons. The colour was applied by hand, not silk-screened, using durable paint.
In previous years, Johnston volunteered along with artist Vicki Wright, who passed away last year. Many of Wright's designs had been favourites among the public, and so this year Johnston decided to re-submit Wright's designs, a Canada goose depiction, in honour of the artist who always offered her time and painting freely. The goose design went through a regular judging process once more and was painted by volunteers this time.
Johnston is quick to point out that although this project is supported by the Town of Gibsons with parks director Wendy Gilbertson as liaison, the taxpayers are not out of pocket. The banners go up for two years in a row then are taken down, scrubbed and offered at a silent auction. Artists get first dibs on purchasing their own banner, but after that, proceeds of banner sales go towards the next banner project.
The banners will be hung in May by Town staff in a cherry picker. Johnston loves this part as she gets to supervise where they will go. She hopes that this year will feature another colour brochure as in 2001/02 that tells residents and visitors what each banner is about and how to find them.
