You know, for kids!

September 16, 2004 10:54 AM

Some of the results from the city of Vancouver's Art Underfoot contest. "The competition invited anyone who lives, works, or goes to school in Vancouver to submit design ideas for new manhole covers..."
posted by dobbs (11 comments total)

I like the frog/paisley/native motif.

I would think that the city of Vancouver would avoid drawing any attention to its' public art programs until all the stupid unoriginal whales have been vadalized out of existance.
posted by Keith Talent at 11:03 AM on September 16, 2004

Nice find. I love all of the Haida-inspired ones. I'm not very big on the "winning sanitary sewer design", though. Bacteria? Geeze... why not turds for that matter?
posted by stonerose at 11:59 AM on September 16, 2004

I have a feeling that they picked grey-on-grey as being designs that will not get ruined by being driven over. Seems to be a lot of the design-on-white ones would suffer from road dirt.
posted by Karmakaze at 12:23 PM on September 16, 2004

Obligatory Drainspotting link.
posted by ChasFile at 1:50 PM on September 16, 2004

Stonerose, I thought those were bubbles. I really hope I'm right and they're not a poetic representation of e coli.

Vancouver is just cool. I don't care what little bits of civic cheesiness it indulges in; every town is entitled to a few lapses of taste. It really could be a lot worse.

I visited for the first time this May and fell in jaw-dropping love with the place. I would love to move there, but the emigration laws are just too tight. I have never seen so much lavish natural beauty in an urban setting, or a city more intent on preserving it. Big wet plankton-y kisses to you, Vancouver, and way to put a shine on a humdrum object of civic utility.
posted by melissa may at 2:58 PM on September 16, 2004

Keith, I couldn't agree more. I'm all for public art, but the orcas have to go.
posted by btwillig at 3:14 PM on September 16, 2004

sorry, melissa may - I thought they were bubbles too, until I googled and found this.

I agree with you about Vancouver - I have been twice, and had to be dragged kicking and screaming back to Toronto both times.
posted by stonerose at 3:55 PM on September 16, 2004

And of course, there are other reasons to live in Vancouver.
posted by Turtles all the way down at 4:21 PM on September 16, 2004

The dots are beautiful; whether they are inspired by bacteria or bubbles seems immaterial. Besides, I really like the fact that the designs for the sanitary sewer and storm sewer covers are both iconically related to their functions. For the storm sewer the connection is, "this sewer will end up dumped in a river somewhere, so for the sake of the frogs et al. be careful what goes in here".

yay vancouver.

Turtles, jokeefe, there absolutely ought to be an FPP about Da Kine at some point.
posted by jeffj at 5:17 PM on September 16, 2004

Very nice dobbs. I liked some of the titles of the linked articles too ... in particular "don't touch my manhole" from drag city made me laugh. Thanks.
posted by louigi at 9:50 PM on September 16, 2004

In related news, I recently learned of a city tour that showcases each of the public art installations.
posted by antifreez_ at 8:27 PM on September 19, 2004