So, it occurs to me that my *first* posting in this project might, in fact, make more sense as the *last* stop on a total public art tour. If we use a sort of a spiral to cover all the art pieces, it makes more sense to do this:
Which might make the initial introduction to this part a bit problematic, but you can probably figure it out, and here's a little geographic overview to give you an assist:
This particular mural is, again, one of the iconic images for Port Alberni, since it’s on Johnston Street, and everybody who is coming home from Tofino and heading for the ferry is going to see it as they pass. (Mind you, they only get to see it when they are leaving, and not when they are coming in to town ...)
However, if we stay at that intersection, there is more to see. For example, across the street from Tim Hortons is the dental office of Dr. Marlon Peter. The front structure of the entrance, has a log beam construction over it, which easily counts as a piece of art.
But that’s not all.
On the north east corner of the intersection, we also have Ecole Alberni Elementary. On the southwest entrance to the grounds, there is a collection of wooden shapes of salmon, that have been painted by the students, and are fastened to the fence at that corner.
At the south west corner of the playground is a wall that has primitive but cheerful murals with some simple sun, cloud, and rainbows.
The signage on the school itself is also quite artistic
Another entry in our garbage can collection, this one slightly more formal
If we keep moving down (west on) Johnston, we pass the Kuu-Us Crisis Center
and just across the Buy-Low parking lot from the school is another First Nations office. The First Nations do an awful lot better than we Westerners do in terms of choosing, designing, and executing logos for themselves. This logo is on this particular offices' windows, signage, and even cars, but the large one situated above the entrance is clearly visible from some distance away, and it’s lovely.
And, not too far away, this lovely driftwood orca
Moving down from that area towards the water, we find the newest (as of this writing) mural, at the Legion
and, situated across the street from the Legion, is a somewhat neglected couple of examples. There is a lovely winged dragon
(his eyes light up at night)
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and also an homage to the transformers franchise
That’s right next door to one of the other pieces that is formally excepted as a mural, on the west-facing wall that forms the east side of the Pescadores restaurant parking lot (VV 5). (It's one of Shayne Lloyd's, is a memorial to Janice Zanolli, was originally done in 1997, and repainted in 2017.)
Some First Nations
... some fairly standard ...
... some primitive ...
... and some just weird.
But, of course, there is more. If we wander back up to Gertrude, we will probably pass a bench in front of Archie's Hair Styling (artist: Chris Duncan)
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and south a couple of blocks, we come to the famous J & L Drive-In. Beside, and towering over it, is a mural on the north side of the building next door (currently housing HearingLife) (VV 9).
Actually, it's kind of tricky to get a picture of the whole thing (unless you've got a drone, I guess ...).
Kind of diametrically opposed on that block, over at the corner of Margaret and Southgate, is another mural not noted as such, at M & D Auto Parts, the west side of which is painted as (for some reason) a gas/service station labelled "Tenth Avenue Station."
Continue west down Southgate and we get to the Clam Bucket, which has a little sculpture out front
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and, if we continue across the road and parking lot, we find the Centennial Bear.
Interestingly, Valley Vibes identified as a mural the sign adjacent to the north parking lot at Victoria Quay (VV 4).
However, they don’t identify what the parking lot is for, which is the Nuu-chah-nulth whaling monument.
True, the windows of the memorial have been somewhat neglected, and sometimes it’s not easy to see the sculpture inside, but it is a very impressive sculpture.
Right outside the monument are the "Welcome" totems
But continuing south down Victoria Quay we come to one of the landmarks that is used for directions around town. People will tell you that Victoria Quay is down by the totem pole. People will reference events at the totem pole. People will talk about time periods as relative to the totem pole. It's as if there was only one totem pole in all the world. Well, this is the totem pole. At the, well, it’s hard to call it an intersection, because Roger Street curves around and becomes Victoria Quay, but at this particular point, there is a park with a historical marker, talking about the original paper mill in the area. There is, in the other corner of this small park, the totem pole. When people in Port Alberni talk about "The Totem Pole," this is the totem pole (VV 18).
Continuing to walk east on Roger, as it curves around from Victoria Quay (and passing the Mars Bomber model again)
the first intersection we come to is the intersection of Roger, Gertrude, and Stamp, and we have the Best Western hotel. This is probably the largest of the murals in town, occupying pretty much the entire height of the hotel, and the part of the building that contains the emergency stairway for that end of the hotel. The three sides of this part of the structure are completely illustrated with Della Falls (about sixty kilometres out of town, roughly ten kilometres northwest of the northwest end of Great Central Lake) (VV 10).
And, if you drop in, there are some interesting pieces in the foyer.
Across the street, unacknowledged (and possibly difficult to see with the maples planted in front of them) are two metal sculptures given temporary display space by San Group, and placed on top of the berm around the property, of a sea turtle and a humpback whale.
And, just a little ways up the street, there are other, smaller additions as well ...
If you are taking the Great Spiral Route, next you probably want the Rotary Arts District and Harbour Quay.
Public Art in Port Alberni, introduction and overview
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