Three brewery silos in Chilliwack have been ‘beautifully transformed’ into colourful pieces of public art that can be seen from Highway 1.
That was how Fred Landtmeters, president and CEO of Molson Coors Canada, described the 33-foot high silos now wrapped with brightly coloured pieces of artwork by Silvana Kulyk of Chilliwack.
‘Gifts of Nature’ was unveiled on Thursday, June 9 at the Molson Coors Beverage Company Fraser Valley Brewery. It can be seen on the north side of Highway 1, just east of Vedder Road.
“We believe this piece, in this particular location, will provide a buzz around the community and the hearts of all who pass by on Highway 1,” said City of Chilliwack councillor Sue Knott, chair of the public art advisory committee. “It’s a great thing for Chilliwack.”
She called the design “striking.”
Folks check out ‘Gifts of Nature,’ a public art piece installed on silos outside the Molson Coors Fraser Valley Brewery and unveiled on Thursday, June 9, 2022. The piece was designed by Chilliwack artist Silvana Kulyk. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
Due to the silos’ highly visible location, the city worked with Molson Coors to facilitate this public art opportunity. The city received 22 submissions from the public art call-out and Kulyk’s work was approved on March 15.
READ MORE: Chilliwack chooses vibrant design for Molson Coors silos visible from Highway 1
The committee felt ‘Gifts of Nature’ was “vibrant, symmetrical, displayed motion and perspective, tells a story, and represents Chilliwack,” the city stated in the June 10 press release.
“Looking at these silos, which have been beautifully transformed by Kulyk’s vision, we see the Fraser River. We see locally grown hops and corn,” Landtmeters said. “We also see a thriving arts scene and a community willing to think outside the box to make things better.”
The artwork features various landscapes typical for the Fraser Valley: the left silo reveals farming scenery with hops in the foreground, the middle is a mountain with a flowing river, and the right showcases the abundance of forests in the valley with corn in the foreground.
It is the largest piece of artwork that Kulyk has ever done. It was created digitally, then sent to a local printer and printed on several pieces of vinyl. This past week, the silos were wrapped in the strips of vinyl, much like a puzzle.
She said she was “very thrilled and happy” with the result.
“It looks so seamless you can’t really tell. They did a great job with that,” Kulyk said. “I hope people are going to enjoy it and it’s going to have a good impact on the city.”
Her artwork includes children’s illustrations, video game art and murals. One of her other major projects was creating 11 murals for BC Children’s Hospital in 2017 and 2020.
Chilliwack artist Silvana Kulyk stands in front of her public art piece ‘Gifts of Nature’ which was installed on silos outside the Molson Coors Fraser Valley Brewery and unveiled on Thursday, June 9, 2022. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
Both Landtmeters and David Hamel, general manager at Molson Coors’ Fraser Valley Brewery, said the brewery and the city have a collaborative partnership.
“Molson Coors has a long, proud history of supporting and uniting the communities in which we operate,” Hamel said.
Landtmeters echoed his comment.
“John Molson said ‘We are all members of a larger community which depends on everyone playing a part.’ He said that back in 1786.”
This artwork will continue the legacy of the brewery’s founder and, in turn, keep the company connected to the community, Landtmeters added.
“We are pleased to support the city’s commitment to making spaces more vibrant and fostering civic pride with public art by providing our silos as a canvas for the artist to display a truly Chilliwack piece,” Hamel said.
Members of the public art advisory committee line up for a photo in front of ‘Gifts of Nature,’ a public art piece installed on silos outside the Molson Coors Fraser Valley Brewery and unveiled on Thursday, June 9, 2022. The piece was designed by Chilliwack artist Silvana Kulyk. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
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