DANDELION
DREAMS
Dandelion Dreams 2026
A major public art commission designed and fabricated in Canada.
Dandelion Dreams is a large-scale public art installation created for the Lark Group and installed in the plaza beside Stong’s Market at 9686 137 Street in Surrey, British Columbia.
For this project, I joined forces with fellow artists Kim Cooper and Bruce Voyce to form a creative partnership capable of taking on the challenges of a complex public art commission. Together, we developed and delivered an ambitious sculptural project that brought artistic vision, engineering, custom metal fabrication, and architectural lighting together in a single installation.
The project was entirely designed and fabricated in Canada, working with Canadian businesses and skilled tradespeople throughout the process. I believe it is important to support domestic fabrication and invest in Canada's capacity to produce ambitious public art projects. While overseas manufacturing can offer cost advantages, projects such as Dandelion Dreams demonstrate the value of developing and sustaining our own expertise and resources.
Collaboration and Craftsmanship
The success of Dandelion Dreams depended on the knowledge, creativity, and dedication of a talented team. Kim Cooper and Bruce Voyce contributed inventive solutions to the many design and fabrication challenges that arose throughout the project.
Production manager Karl Simmons played a critical role in coordinating engineering, supervising subcontractors, and overseeing the production of specialized jigs and cradles. His work helped keep the complex fabrication process moving forward.
Our subcontractors included C.Y. Loh Structural Engineering, Aggressive Tube Bending, Ropate Equipment Refinishers, Redi-Strip Metal Cleaning, Nu Dimensions, Mega Cranes, and Think Industrial, led by Daniel Stratten.
Daniel and Nathyn Sanche undertook the challenging welding of the intricate dandelion puffs. Daniel also installed the eight lighting units and designed and programmed the RGB LED lighting system, controlled through DMX technology.
INSTALLATION
A Challenging and Rewarding Project
Dandelion Dreams was a demanding undertaking and an important learning experience for our partnership, Xarax Artworks. It required creative problem-solving, technical precision, and close coordination between artists, engineers, fabricators, and installation specialists.
The completed installation stands as an example of what can be accomplished when artistic ambition is supported by Canadian engineering, fabrication, and skilled craftsmanship.
