Two artists will go back to the drawing board after their proposed design for a Surrey street banner was rejected by the city council.
Staff recommended that the City of Surrey approve the work of artists Angie Quintanilla Coates and Lay Hoon for banners to be installed on close to 100 street poles.
But at a March 10 meeting, the council sent the report back to city staff for a re-working, at the request of Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, to ensure the banners carry a Canada-first message.
The current design wasn't supposed to be a Canada-themed banner, but now the mayor and council want it to be.
"Given current global circumstances, particularly those affecting trade and national unity," Locke said, "I believe it is important to explore a Canada-first theme for our public banners, especially at this time."
Annually, Surrey's Public Art Program commissions a unique design for approximately 100 street-pole banners near significant cultural and community destinations in the city, such as Surrey Arts Centre, City Centre Library, Newton Cultural Centre, and South Surrey Recreation and Arts Centre.
On Feb. 21, city staff hosted a panel, including two Surrey residents and a local artist, to review designs proposed for the 2025 banners. After looking through 88 design proposals by 73 artists, the panel unanimously recommend one design by Coates and Hoon, whose banner design "celebrates Surrey’s mosaic of cultures, stories, and connections," according to a report to the council.
By referring the report back to staff, Locke said, "we can consider ways to incorporate a strong Canadian focus while respecting and building on artists' excellent work. I want to emphasize that this request in no way diminishes the merit of Ms. Coates' and Ms. Hoon's design; rather it seeks to enhance their vision by combining Surrey's cultural vibrancy with a broader celebration of national identity."
The total artist fee for the public art street banner design is $3,000, notes the report to council.
"The 2025 Public Art Banners Project is funded by the Civic Street Banner Program, within the Community Enhancement Budget. The annual budget for the Civic Street Banner Program is $120,000. This includes materials and labour and provides banners at 1,015 locations across the City. Types of banners include Town Centre Identity Banners, Surrey Gateway Banners, Public Art Banners, and Community Group Banners. Of these, approximately 100 would feature the public art design."
—with a file from Tom Zytaruk
