Umbrella Chronicles: Jean Burns Art Project

Following the Jean Burns building fire in 2016, the City of Nanaimo invited local artists to enliven the temporary construction fencing surrounding the site. The initiative aimed to integrate artistic interventions into an otherwise austere urban zone while referencing Nanaimo’s cultural history through the use of heritage photographs.

Artist Lys Glassford contributed a site-specific work titled Umbrella Chronicles, drawing unexpected inspiration from a vintage photo of an umbrella shop. The resulting piece blended heritage reference with visual oddity, subverting nostalgia in favour of curiosity, absurdity, and amusement.

Creative Intent
Rather than evoke reverence or traditional historical commentary, Umbrella Chronicles celebrated the eccentric and playful. A real umbrella was installed in the artwork, bridging the image with physical reality. Stained glass accents added another layer of visual surprise and artistic defiance, an elegant material tucked within a quirky composition.

The work playfully challenged viewers’ assumptions about historical art and its role in public discourse.

Execution
Installed directly on the perimeter fencing around the Jean Burns construction site, the installation embraced the impermanent nature of the project and the unusual site conditions. Materials were selected for their bold visibility and resilience in a street-level outdoor setting. The artwork stood as a dynamic punctuation amid other historically themed pieces, drawing attention through its conceptual looseness and unconventional styling.

Impact
Umbrella Chronicles contributed to a memorable and highly individualized segment of Jean Burns' art intervention. It activated public space with quirkiness and unpredictability, inviting pedestrians to reconsider how heritage and imagination can interact in urban placemaking.