New Banners for City Bridges

Starting next week, more than 800 banners, featuring the designs of local artist Elisa Rathje, will fly over the Burrard and Cambie bridges, and on Burrard and Georgia streets.

The designs were unveiled today at a regularly scheduled City Council meeting.

Elisa Rathje is a young artist and recent graduate of Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. Born and raised in North Vancouver, she works with computer-generated images and digital video. Her pixelated figures have been reproduced on more than 800 nylon banners that will be displayed through the summer.

The banner can be viewed on the City’s web site at
        www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/continuum.html

The City of Vancouver has funded the production of street banners since 1958. Many artists have had their work featured in this unique way, including Bill Reid, Jack Shadbolt, Barbara Shelly, Gordon Smith, Len Norris, Alistair Bell, and Toni Onley. Selection of an artist and theme is determined by a banner committee comprising local artists/architects. The annual cost of the program is about $81,000, which includes reproduction costs, mounting and removal.

Street banners are displayed annually from June through October. After display, the City donates street banners to the UNICEF store at 536 West Broadway, where they can be purchased.

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