Things will get wild on the streets of Victoria this month with life-sized driftwood animal sculptures popping up around Bastion Square and in the Gage Gallery, in the heart of the city’s downtown.
Creations of artist Tanya Bub, the Wild BC show serves as a fundraiser for the BC SPCA Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre (ARC) in Metchosin.
Bub hopes her art will create a “feeling of awe for the amazing creatures who share our province.”
The eco-artist creates sculptures of animals and people from found wood and recycled materials. A signature feature of her work is making inanimate objects appear to be so alive that it’s almost impossible to resist the feeling that a living being is present.
“My goal is to give people the experience of standing in front of a wild creature like a wolf or cougar without risk to either the person or the animals,” she says.
Bub also aims to raise awareness about the work at Wild ARC, where nearly 3,000 injured and orphaned wild animals are helped every year.
While the exhibit is free, 25 per cent of art sale proceeds will support Wild ARC and 25 per cent will support local art through Gage Gallery.
Visitors are encouraged to interact with the art, take and share selfies and learn more about the depicted animals – including wolves, cougars, owls, eagles, herons, moose, deer, fox, whale, octopus, humming birds, squirrels and raccoons.
Wild BC features 30 sculptures at Gage Gallery and around Bastion Square where the gallery is located. The exhibit runs March 28 to April 16, with a free meet-the-artist opening night on March 29 from 5 to 8 p.m.
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