Artwork has been selected for a volunteer monument, which will be erected outside of Sandman Centre to honour those who gave time last year during historic wildfires in Interior B.C. Lend A Hand, created by B.C. artists Lee-Anne Chisholm and Aaron Harder, will be erected this winter.
“The jury thought it was best,” TNRD chair John Ranta told KTW.
The piece was designed to represent support and the Canadian spirit, with a prominent maple leaf and hand that will emerge from the base.
The artwork was one of three pieces juried by a six representatives from the City of Kamloops and Thompson-Nicola Regional District. Models were distributed throughout TNRD libraries in areas impacted by the fires, allowing the public to weigh in and represent one vote.
Ranta said Lend a Hand earned the people’s choice vote, though he noted visits to different communities elicited varying responses to the artwork.
Asked how many people participated in the engagement, Ranta said “several,” but “not hundreds.”
“It’s the best we could do,” he said.
The artwork is expected to be installed in November.
“The regional district is ever so grateful for the volunteering by the people in the region,” Ranta said.
The budget for the art installation is $100,000.