The Great Blue art commission at Semiah in White Rock

Like many who come to White Rock, artists Jacqueline Metz and Nancy Chew of Muse Atelier, were entranced by the serene expanse of water and tidal flats and the presence of so many birds, especially the great blue herons - graceful, endearing, and an iconic part of the waterfront.

The Great Blue is a monumental steel silhouette of a heron strolling through the neighbourhood on the way to the beach. Her eye gazes out at you and her broad stride forms a playful gateway. She is at home here, interwoven with our daily lives, a connection to the natural world.

An egg-shaped opening is a symbol for potential, the unknown future. There is an undefined narrative rooted in the surrounding natural landscape of the area; The Great Blue evokes a timeless landscape – partly mythical, yet also familiar, the imagery abstracted by scale and the artifice of placement, silhouette, and narrative.