Spirit Bears, aka "Hideous Public Art"

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Filed in Arts
February 13, 2006

Sean's comment about the truly horrendous public art in this city reminded me of something I've been wanting to post for a while: these "spirit bears" that are popping up all over the city. I know we did the orcas a couple of years ago, and they were a little too far on the civic fanaticism side for my liking, but in general I didn't think they looked that bad. These bears, unfortunately, are hideous. They are called Kermode Spirit Bears and are not just in Vancouver, but scattered around the province to support BC Lions Society's Easter Seal Operations and the Canucks for Kids Fund. OK, no one said that charity had to be pretty, but maybe we could put them somewhere else - like maybe inside Canada Place or something.

So, local artists pair up with big business and create something that sometimes reflects the business, or the city, and sometimes it not. I have never seen a pairing where art and big business turned out anything beautiful, not to mention creative, so I guess it's not a surprise that these bears are so ugly, but it is a shame that there are so many of them.

Also I notice that on the "Spirit Bears in the City" website, there are only 4 - Chicago, Toronto, and the aforementioned past Orca project in Vancouver and Victoria. Are we more susceptible to this kind of thing on the west coast that we have set it up twice? Gullible? Blind?

If you haven't seen them yet, check out the Bear Gallery and let me know what you think.

Reader Reviews and Comments

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Ugh. Vancoubear and Tmooghk Bear are particularly offensive. And what's with the names.. Vancoubear? Well, I suppose if I were a tourist, getting photo ops with these abominations would provide a few minutes diversion...

Posted by: Clinton

at February 13, 2006 1:25 PM | Quote Comment

They're truly an eyesore. i don't think those orcas were any better. i am SO relieved that the orcas are now disappearing as quietly appeared. You know how art that's temporal can be more appealing. Or at lest more BEARable.

Posted by: statusq at February 13, 2006 4:45 PM | Quote Comment

ok, so I was having a look at the photos of all the bears. One in particular grabbed my attention. When you scroll to the bottom, there is a bear named: Nazzy Bear Ã¢â‚¬Â¦ummm and if this doesnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t sound anything like Ã¢â‚¬Å“Nazi BearÃ¢â‚¬Â? then IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m officially gone crazy. Anyhoo, yesÃ¢â‚¬Â¦I think these bears (in reality, just molds of the same bear, painted hideously) are very ugly. ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s sad to display these molds. Especially when we live in a city so rich with beautiful contemporary art by talented artists.

Posted by: stacey at February 13, 2006 10:08 PM | Quote Comment

I'm still surprised that nobody has taken a crowbar to any of them yet.

Posted by: richard at February 14, 2006 12:23 AM | Quote Comment

When tose Orcas were up, it was still when people cared about the war in Iraq, and it was right around the time when the pictures of Abu Ghraib were coming in. So i took a coffee sack and rode down to the American Embassy, where there was an Orca. I covered its head and snapped a photo. Called it Iraqi prisoner of Warca.

Posted by: sean orr at February 14, 2006 12:26 AM | Quote Comment

sean, that is so awesome.

Posted by: degan at February 14, 2006 8:21 AM | Quote Comment

The orcas I almost liked, but I was in a new-to-Vancouver-aww-that's-quite-cute-kind of phase. A year or so later, with the craptacular Spirit Bears, I'm in more of a "Wow, I wish these monstrosities had been put up in a British city. I'd give 'em 72 hours at most before someone puked over, peed on, beheaded or grafitti tagged the whole evil lot of them" kind of phase.

Sometimes it's good to belong to a nation of football hooligans.

Posted by: Kate at February 15, 2006 10:05 AM | Quote Comment

Oh, dear. Those are making the orcas look good. I didn't think it could be done.

Posted by: pericat at February 15, 2006 3:47 PM | Quote Comment

The bracelets kill me.

Posted by: Ariadna at February 15, 2006 4:21 PM | Quote Comment

i wondered what that was for, it is an ugly bear.

Posted by: B

at March 9, 2006 12:13 AM | Quote Comment

It looks like someone dumped a bucket of paint over the one on burrard...that would be a cool thing to do actually, re-paint them in the name of sanity...something!

Posted by: Bill at May 10, 2006 1:48 PM | Quote Comment

Having just viewed the spirit bears of the Greater Vancouver Area in the gallery I was rather disapointed but I will not say that they were hideous or abombinations. I think that there is 'modern art' on our city streets (and I don't just mean Vancouver)that is much worse, and unfortunately it won't quietly dissapear after an auction. Having just revisited my hometown of Terrace I saw 9 of the most beautifully painted bears, including 'Kermode'(the photo does not do him any justice because of the camera glare!). I am sorry that these bears didn't grase Vancouver's streets maybe peoples opinions would've been different.

Posted by: Ailsa at May 28, 2006 8:29 PM | Quote Comment

There is one beautiful bear near Urban Fare, called the Explorer Bear. The bear is decorated with maps, mythical creatures and points of interest, in colours similar to ancient maps. Of all the bears I've seen in the city, I like this one best (corner of Davie and Marinaside, near the seawall)

Posted by: vida at May 31, 2006 5:14 PM | Quote Comment

I just got back from Athens. They had "spirit" cows all over there city.

Posted by: marie at July 28, 2006 5:04 AM | Quote Comment

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