In my local paper, there is a small editorial piece (The Coquitlam Now, page 20, no links) on the BC Lions’ Spirit Bears in the City campaign and how you can make your own:

Local artists, in partnership with sponsoring individuals or organizations, will create a unique design and apply it to the surface of a life size (approx. 7ft) custom formed fiberglass Spirit Bear. The Bear becomes the artist’s canvas. Once the work is complete, the Spirit Bear will be displayed in prominent public spaces around the participating cities with the majority being placed in Vancouver’s downtown business core. A ‘Spirit Bear Trail Guide’ will be created and distributed throughout participating communities.

These begging campaigns are vile for so many reasons. Beyond Robson’s Degan has already brought it up, but when I saw the ads last night I flipped out.

As someone with art history training, I am disgusted with the kitsch factor and the sheer uselessness of the bears. Can’t we get back to the days when art was functional? Any function. Even the function of complementing its surroundings. As a closet artist, I am angry that art patrons - patrons in the older sense, of having the money to fund work - don’t take the time to research where their money should go and instead pick an artist from a corporate catalogue of potential bears. As a tourism worker, I am sick of the fact that we are marketing ourselves on expiry-dated garbage. Never mind that public interest in this kitsch was saturated with last year’s orcas. As a treehugger, the whole idea that these bears are a waste of resources makes me mad. As an animal lover, I am ready to yell at the Lions that the Kermode bears are famous because they’re white, not because of some garish toppling of twenty tubes of acrylic paint. As a Vancouverite, I am horrified that more eyesores will marr our cities.

I’ve been to Chicago twice. The cows were not on my list of things to see. Personally, if someone were to invite me to go cow-viewing in Chicago, I would expect a tour of cattle industry gore. Historically that’s more accurate to Chicago. A fibreglass psychedelic ungulate is not a representation of a freaked out cow going through a buzzsaw or a poor worker falling into a sausage vat.

I know that funding is short, for both the artists who undertake these commissions and for the needy kids. Surely, though, we can find better solutions for raising money? Maybe not promote them to tourists from outside of town? Lessen our embarrassment a tad? What do you say?

Related posts:

1. Spirit Bears = $$
2. Bears in the City
3. What did that bear ever do to you?
4. You can’t high-five real bears
5. Joining the Orcas and Spirit Bears