Congratulations to Emily Carr alumna Gabrielle Strong, MFA 2015! Gabrielle has been awarded a $30,000 commission by The Downtown Vernon Association and the City of Vernon for a new downtown Participatory Public Art Piece.

The work will portray a winding mosaic river inlayed into the sidewalk, beginning and ending at storm-drains, symbolizing the cycle of flowing water. The design will incorporate a range of materials, including mosaic segments, etched line-work and staining various shades of blue and green with a process called acid-staining.

The commission is part of RespectFEST 2017, a week-long festival marking Canada’s 150th Anniversary of Confederation, running from September 18 - 24 in Vernon.