OLDS — A new piece of public art is now on display in Uptowne Olds.
The work, titled “Sunflower,” is on the exterior of the Kinh Vietnamese Restaurant at 5118 50 Ave.
Sunflower, created by former École Olds High School student Kyla Organ, is an interactive piece designed to encourage community engagement and photos.
The piece was announced by the Arts Collective Olds (TACO) in collaboration with Uptowne Olds and the Town of Olds.
The purpose of TACO, a community initiative supported by the Town of Olds and Mountain View Power, is to foster the growth of arts and culture in the community.
Committee members are Lindsay Caskey, Jeff Fraser, Amy Lee, Alanna Knobben, Lori-Jo Graham, and Jillian Toellner.
“Their mission is to enrich the cultural landscape of Olds and engage the community through the arts,” a town news release says.
Organ’s work explores identity and cultural background.
As the daughter of an RCMP member, Kyla lived in many different communities,” the release says.
“For her, community is more about a sense of belonging than a physical space. For this piece I drew inspiration from interactive ‘graffiti’ art where viewers are able to pose and take snapshots with the artwork,” Organ is quoted as saying.
“As a result, I ended up with the idea of a lamp that turns on from a dangle that can be mock-held by the viewer.
“I wanted it to be significant to Olds and Alberta as a whole, so I spent a lot of time thinking of physical symbols of the community . . . that make Alberta unique as a province and . . . things that are appreciated in Olds and the surrounding area."
