Rain-activated art has hit the streets of North Vancouver! The North Vancouver Community Arts Council has finished installing 30 ‘rainworks’, as part of Let It Rain!, our newest community public art project, funded by the City of North Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver though the North Vancouver Recreation & Culture Commissions’ Public Art Program.
‘Rainworks’ were first created by Peregrine Church, a Seattle-based artist, who engineered a superhydrophobic spray to brighten the wet streets of his city. Using this special compound, the NVCAC has installed short, uplifting phrases that only appear in the rain. The spray is applied over a stencil, sealing the concrete and remaining completely invisible while the concrete is dry. But when the surrounding concrete gets wet, a phrase appears! It is public art that uses the simple contrast of wet and dry concrete, perfect for our rainy North Vancouver spring.
17 winning phrases were selected out of hundreds submitted by the public through a series of writing workshops and a general call between Fall 2015 and Spring 2016. These 17 phrases have been placed at 30 locations, including bus stops, public gathering places, and cultural spaces all over North Vancouver. A full map of locations and list of winning phrases can be found on the project webpage www.nvartscouncil.ca/events-exhibitions/let-it-rain/
The Let It Rain! installations will be visible for 2-6 months and will fade over time. Before they disappear, take a picture of each rainwork you see and share it on social media! Make sure to tag @nvartscouncil and use the hashtag #LetItRain. Can you find all 30?
Please contact the North Vancouver Community Arts Council at 604-988-6844 or events@nvartscouncil.ca with questions or media inquiries.
