When it comes to public art, there’s no question Vancouver has an animal attraction. First it was orcas, then it was spirit bears. But from now until spring 2010, eagles rule the roost
By Kristina Urquhart
Bald eagles have flocked to Vancouver, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find real feathers on these 2.3-m (7.5-ft) fiberglass birds.
"Under Aurora" by Rod and Connor Charlesworth is perched outside Science World at Quebec Street and Terminal Avenue. An inukshuk, the official logo of the 2010 Winter Games, and Aurora Borealis are painted on the eagle. Photo by KK Law
Canada Place Way at Howe Street is home to "Balancing the Life Giver" by Andrew Dexel (left), "Spiritual Celebrations from East to West" by Andrew Dexel and Mark Anthony Jacobson (middle), and "The Search for Midnight Water" by Mark Anthony Jacobson (right). Photo by Sheri Radford
Eagles in the City is the third installment of public art by the BC Lions Society, following the popular Orcas in the City and Spirit Bears in the City projects. Local artists were commissioned to create a design for each eagle, from First Nations motifs to BC landscapes, and more than 130 birds have been installed in public spaces across Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Whistler, Prince George and BC’s Interior.
BC is not the only area to hone its animal instinct. In 2000, Toronto welcomed Moose in the City, and more than 50 international cities have been included in CowParade, a travelling exhibition of hand-painted bovines, since 1999.
The eagles are on display until April 2010, when they will be auctioned to benefit children’s charities Easter Seals and Canucks for Kids (see below).
For a fun souvenir, stop by Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for a 156-g (5.5-oz) solid milk chocolate eagle. And don’t forget to pick up a Bald Eagle Flight Path Map at Tourism Vancouver for a bird’s-eye view of where the eagles are nesting.
Inside the Team Store at GM Place, "The Luongo Ealge" by Dean Lauze is a tribute to the Vancouver Canucks and its star goalie, Roberto Luongo. Proceeds from next year's eagle auction will go to Canucks for Kids, which raises money for children's causes such as literacy, health and wellness. Photo by KK Law
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