Spark

“The Canada I know is colourful and diverse,” says young artist, Shae-Lyn Tuomi, as she describes her recent art installation for our St. Vital Centre Canada 150 celebration. Shae-Lyn is a 17-year-old high school student who dreams of one day becoming an established Canadian artist.

She attends Nelson McIntyre Collegiate and is part of a program called Propel – an interdisciplinary, project-based learning environment, in which students can pursue an area of individual interest. For Shae-Lyn, that interest is art and design. After graduating high school, she plans to enrol in the Digital Media Design program at Red River College to pursue a career in graphic design.

We’re thrilled to officially have her piece on display in Centre Court. The piece is a digital mosaic that plays with shapes, colour, and proportion. Shae-Lyn’s vision was to celebrate the many landscapes of Canada. Her travels across the country, from the Rocky Mountains to the St. Lawrence River, inspired her to create a piece that captures the full range of Canadian geography.

“I’ve included all kinds of bright, cheery colours in my scene,” says Shae-Lyn about the rich hues and tonal variations used in her creation. She was eager to incorporate a very Canadian feel to her piece, so that it would be the perfect back-drop for shoppers to grab a quick photo in front of a scene that all Canadians can relate to. She hopes St. Vital Centre guests love the piece as much as she does!

From May 1 - 31, you can find Shae-Lyn’s installation in Centre Court. Not only is her creation a beautiful piece of art, it’s also the backdrop for our Canada 150 Faces of Canada contest! Take a photo in front of the installation, and post your photo using #FacesofSVC on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to enter for your chance to win a six-night stay and airfare for two to a select Canadian city. You can find all the contest details, including eligible cities, on our website.

Next time you visit the Centre, be sure to check out Shae-Lyn’s art installation and take a few moments to remember your Canadian pride – and of course, take a selfie!