An art initiative originating from Cache Creek鈥檚 Gold Country aims to bring B.C. communities together during the difficult times bought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

鈥楾he Sunflower Project鈥� is also an environmental renewal project, taking rediscovered satellite dishes and other debris and making them into large 3D sunflower models.

Lead artist and project architect Michelle Loughery said the goal is to have a series of living art installations in various cities and towns, which will include the sunflowers made out of reclaimed materials, as well as real living sunflowers.

Loughery said the idea for the project originated in 1999 when she moved to Vernon and started work on a mural project to help revitalize the city鈥檚 downtown area.

鈥淚t was the perfect timing because the downtown association was looking for murals and they wanted to completely rebuild their downtown. So we worked together and created the downtown Vernon mural project,鈥� she said.

鈥淎nd that collaboration of leading a legacy of tourism while building infrastructure helped my career soar鈥� and now I get to do it again as my swansong for other communities.鈥�

The project鈥檚 goal is to have the living art installations put together to make up a 鈥楽unflower Highway鈥�, which Loughery said will be a driveable art route. Executive director of the Gold Country Communities Society Marcie Down said the art route will help B.C.鈥檚 rural communities safely gain tourist traffic.

鈥淪ome of the communities involved include Ashcroft, Cache Creek, and Clinton, so it鈥檚 a very big region. Then that will interconnect with others as well. There are just so many rural communities that need a hand during these times,鈥� Down said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 driveable tourism. If we get hit again (with COVID-19), at least we can still drive by and have some sunflower sightings,鈥� Loughery said.

Loughery and Down said they also want the project to be symbolic of the Gold Rush.

鈥淭he highway kind of recreates the Gold Rush route. The Gold Rush did an awful lot for the economy鈥� so we鈥檙e going back to that thought, tracing the route, paying tribute to the immigrants and of course our Indigenous peoples,鈥� Loughery said.

鈥淭he sunflower is indigenous to North America. (Russian czar) Peter the Great took the sunflower back to Ukraine and Russia to help build their economy and now we鈥檙e bringing it back to say 鈥榟ey, how can we build an economy again around people, place and planet?鈥欌��

Loughery and Down are encouraging artists and residents to get involved, either by painting sunflowers or planting them. For more information, visit .

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