Becky Thiessen stands in front of one of her winning banner designs, displayed across the City as part of an annual contest. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

BANNER DESIGNS

‘What I want is this beautiful, natural environment:’ local artist sees Nanaimo in 100 years

May 9, 2021 | 6:54 AM

NANAIMO — Local streets are again adorned with hundreds of colourful, seasonal banners.

Becky Thiessen’s design was selected from 12 finalists in a contest to represent what Nanaimo would be like in 100 years.

Thiessen leaned on her background of community planning, recently completing a masters, where the concept of thinking five, 10 or 100 years into the future is not uncommon.

“When I heard that theme…as we’re in the middle of this pandemic and feeling pretty dystopic…I was thinking essentially what I want is this beautiful, natural environment to last out those 100 years.”

One banner reflects a cedar bough while another is based on a photograph Thiessen took of the Nanaimo estuary.

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The design features a horizon in the background representing Nanaimo from a distance.

Thiessen’s design featuring the Nanaimo estuary is one of two new banners mounted across the city. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Designing to the theme of Nanaimo: 2121 and winning the annual City contest was a special experience for Thiessen.

She’d completed other public art installations when she lived in Winnipeg, but this was her first foray into a project of this scale since moving to Nanaimo three years ago.

“On Thursday (May 6) I saw them for the first time, they weren’t even in my mind and I was driving by and was like “whoa whoa!” It was super exciting, I think I heard there’s going to be 320 of them around Nanaimo. It’s somewhat humbling and totally exciting at the same time.”

Thiessen pursues her art while working at VIU with the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Research Institute

The City holds an annual contest for local artists to design the year’s banners, which are attached to light posts across the city during the summer months.

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alex.rawnsley@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley