On Tuesday, November 22, a sub-committee of the Chemainus Festival of Murals (FOM) announced plans for a 45 foot major art project to pay tribute to the iconic Canadian artist, Emily Carr.

On hand at the Emily Carr Monument Inaugural Introduction Gala was a full colour scale model maquette of the Emily Carr Monument project.  The actual sculpture will be 45 feet high and 20 feet wide, surrounded by water, which will appear to be flowing out of the sculpture itself, and a Thunderbird at its highest peak. The towering art piece will be the world’s first MuralSculpture, so called as it combines the two mediums – sculpture and murals – for the first time.

“This is the first time something like this has been attempted, to our knowledge,” said Karl Schutz, manager, coordinator and originator of the project. “There will be many challenges, of which building the structure and body will be the most mind boggling.”Schutz has teamed up with muralist and sculptor Charlie Johnston of Winnipeg and First Nations carver Dennis Nyce to produce the  MuralSculpture, which will be constructed of steel fiber cement and will include artifacts from Ucluelet where Emily Carr was called “Klee Wyck.” Chemainus Festival of Murals Society President Tom Andrews commented that as the famous Chemainus Murals exposed locals  and visitors alike to the history of Chemainus, so too will the Emily Carr Monument and outdoor gallery expose people to her art and the relationships she had with First Nations and communities like Chemainus. Both the Penelakut and Ucluelet First Nations were represented at Tuesday’s event by Penelakut artist Nadine Karen, Ucluelet President Chuck McCarthy, and Larry Baird, economic development officer.

As an integral part of the campaign for the Emily Carr Monument, an opportunity for all Canadians to take part in the historic project has been planned. For as little as a minimum $5 donation, each contributor will have his/her name put onto the back of the sculpture. Families can even create their own family donation tree where each family member will be linked together.

Donations have already been coming in according to Schutz, who became the first donor when the on-line donation system went live at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.

“There were many cash donations the first day after the gala, John Landygo of Chemainus being the first,” said Schutz. ”We have donations already coming in from Europe, and we are confident there are many thousands of people across Canada, and around the world, who would like to see this monument to Emily Carr become a reality.”

Emily Carr was a passionate artist.  The unique and vanishing First Nations culture and the forested landscapes and rugged coastline of British Columbia were the driving themes behind her work.

For almost 30 years the theme of the Chemainus Murals has been based on the town’s history.  In 2008, the FOM adopted the art of Emily Carr as its second Mural Theme. Emily Carr (1871-1945) is a Canadian icon and the most famous female painter in Canada.  She painted “Chemainus Bay” in 1924 and 1925 while visiting the Chemainus Valley. The painting is in the collection of Calgary’s Glenbow Museum.

The Emily Carr Murals are under the Distinguished Patronage of The Honourable Steven L. Point, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.

The Chemainus Murals have been attracting thousands of visitors from around the world with more than 40 historic murals since 1982.

For more information:

Karl Schutz, 250-246-4911, www.emilycarrmonument.com