‘Spirit of the Games’ YXS Mural Winner Announced

*RELEASED BY THE 2015 CANADA WINTER GAMES*
Prince George, BC – The 2015 Canada Winter Games, in partnership with the Prince George & District Community Arts Council and the Prince George Airport Authority, is proud to announce Gregory Michael Gislason as the successful northern BC artist of the ‘Spirit of the Games’ Project -a mural painted on the exterior arrivals wall of the Prince George Airport (YXS).

“The Canada Games is as much about arts and culture as sport. This project is one of the many opportunities available to northern BC artists as a result of the 2015 Canada Winter Games. It will welcome the thousands of visitors to our region for the 2015 Games, remaining as a legacy in the community for the millions of visitors who visit after the 2015 Games,” says Stuart Ballantyne, 2015 Canada Winter Games CEO.

Gislason has lived in Prince George for the past two years. His entry features well known landmarks and icons of Prince George, after undergoing three weeks of design concepts and countless hours of research with Prince George historians, representatives of the Lheidli T’enneh and local experts in order to fully appreciate, in his words, “the heart of the community.”

Gislason is a graduate of BCIT’s Advanced Airbrushing course. Past work includes hundreds of familiar pieces in the Vancouver area, including the IntraWest Hotel in Whistler, the floor of the Vancouver Aquarium, and Rock City signage.

“For many athletes and spectators traveling to Prince George for the 2015 Games, the airport will be their first exposure to the City. This mural will stand as a welcome to Prince George and Northern BC,” says Mayor Shari

Green of Prince George. “The ‘Spirit of the Games’ campaign was an exceptional opportunity for a local British Columbia artist to become involved with the Games, showcase their talents and be partof a legacy that will last a lifetime.”

Prince George Airport Authority President and CEO, John Gibson, says, “Greg’s piece tells the northern story. It encompasses who we are, past, present and future. We look forward to sharing it with the world when they land at YXS.”

“We are thrilled and excited that Greg was the successful applicant for the Spirit of the Games mural,” says Wendy A. Young, Executive Director, Prince George & District Community Arts Council. “His understanding of the Prince George community is very well depicted in his mural design submission. We look forward to the installation.”
Proposals were juried through a selection committee made up of representatives from the 2015 Games, Prince George & District Community Arts Council and Prince George Airport Authority. The mural will be unveiled in September 2014.