Starting this week, visitors to Esquimalt Gorge Park will notice new banners lining the roadway following a public call for artists to submit designs for the street banners in early 2025.
Artist Marlene Howell was selected as the artist for the 2025 banner installation, successfully responding to this year's theme “Reflecting Our Heritage and Landscape."
"The Township of Esquimalt has provided an opportunity to acknowledge the Japanese-Canadian culture and history through the street banners for Gorge Park where the original Japanese teahouse first stood,” said Howell in a news release. “Our collaboration on this project has been an unforgettable experience.”
Each of the four banners are inspired by a Japanese idiom, with the illustrations being composed to reflect the meanings behind the expressions.
“Marlene’s banner designs reflect themes and inspiration from Japanese communities who have shaped the Gorge Park area,” said Mayor Barbara Desjardins in the release. “The art is a nod to the natural beauty of the waterway and celebrates it as a space where family and friends can gather.”
She brings a global perspective to her work. Howell's artistic journey spans several continents, with exhibitions in Sudan, Cambodia, and across Canada. Her work has been featured by the Canadian Embassy in Phnom Penh and the Federation of Canadian Artists, among other notable organizations.
Japanese tradition will be further celebrated at the park during the upcoming Japanese Cultural Fair on Saturday (Aug. 23), organized by the Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society.
