Art blossomed in Victoria this year

By Dean Fortin, Mayor, City of Victoria

This spring was a great season for art in Victoria. Our city is home to many talented artists and enthusiastic art fans, and it has been exciting to see several new projects take shape around town. This fall, I invite you to explore these works for yourself.

This May, the Robert Bateman Centre opened in the historic Steamship Terminal at 470 Belleville Street. This world-class gallery features more than 160 works by the world's greatest wildlife artist, and it is a delight for residents and tourists of all ages.

Bateman's art is truly incredible in its detail, in its depth and in its passion. His renderings of the natural world inspire a love and respect for nature and serve as an inspiration to artists of all ages. The Robert Bateman Centre is much more than a gallery, it is a centre for embarking on a journey of soul and spirit. I hope you will take some time to discover this incredible new facility in downtown Victoria.

The centre has ten galleries of Bateman's work, including subjects from British Columbia and Africa. Visitors can stop in the Diane and David Reesor Theatre and hear Bateman talk about his vision while he works in his studio.

Two galleries are of special interest to youth and children. The Family Gallery includes a hands-on nature play area for children under ten, and the Kathryn Iredale Gallery focuses on Bateman's work about birds. Here, children of all ages can orchestrate bird calls through a multichannel sound system and sensors on the paintings.

I look forward to visiting the gallery again with my family.

Earlier this spring, Canada Post unveiled a new stamp featuring the Victoria's Gates of Harmonious Interest. This stamp is part of an eight-part series that feature Chinatown gates from across Canada. The image for the stamp was painted by local artist Mark Heine, whose art is featured on 17 other postage stamps.

Victoria's Chinatown is the oldest in Canada; the Gates of Harmonious Interest are Canada's first permanent traditional Chinese arch, and they are a trademark of our Chinatown.  The Gates were installed in 1981 as a monument to the contributions of our Chinese community and our city's commitment to a multicultural society. The gates feature hand-carved stone lions from our sister city, Suzhou.

Today, Victoria's Chinese-Canadian community continues to contribute so much to our city, to our economy, to our culture and to our vibrancy.

It is a great honour for Mark's painting of Victoria's Gates to be featured on a Canada Post stamp. This will bring national and international recognition to our city, a local artist and a local landmark. The collection is available for purchase from Canada Post, and can be viewed online at .

Earlier this year, we unveiled 12 new pieces of public art, which are installed throughout downtown. The "Hands of Time" series features 12 bronze sculptures of life-sized hands engaged in activities that symbolize Victoria's past.

British Columbia-based artist Crystal Przybille created The Hands of Time public artwork to commemorate the City of Victoria's 150th anniversary of incorporation in 2012.

Each of the three-dimensional hands is unique, varying in culture, age and gender, and conveys a story about a downtown location.  The sculptures consist of hands carving a canoe paddle, holding a railway spike, performing with a fan, carrying blankets, carrying books, holding binoculars, tying a rope to a mooring ring, panning for gold, raising a tea cup, holding a mirror, cupping dogwood blossoms, and digging camas bulbs.

The bronze sculptures are located around Victoria's Inner Harbour, with one art piece at City Hall, the Hudson, along the Songhees Walkway, and another at the top of Beacon Hill at Beacon Hill Park. The artworks can be found on buildings, lamp standards, rocks in landscaped areas, and on bedrock. Maps of the hands' locations can be found at Tourism Victoria or online at .

The local art scene blossomed in Victoria this spring, making our city even more vibrant and interesting. Art draws people in, gives them something to think about and something to talk about. It has been a joy to see these new projects take shape in our city, and I invite you to discover them soon for yourself.

In addition to these projects, there are a number of great creative events happening around the city in September - including the James Bay Art Walk, of course! I hope you will take some time to check them out:

Lunchtime concerts in Centennial Square: August-September 27

Concerts in the Park (Beacon Hill): August 1-September 13

James Bay Art Walk: September 14-15

Chalk Art Festival: September 14-15

Have a great fall!