On Thursday, February 26 the King George Secondary School community came together to celebrate the official unveiling of a decorative lighting project composed of 144 LED lights.

The Glowing Wall was undertaken by King George alumni Stefan Zubovic. While attending the high school, Zubovic noticed many people strolling on Denman Street weren't aware of the school's existence. He wanted to create a lighting installation, which would draw the eye to the school's signage and add a vibrant and dynamic dimension to its exterior.

The school's new art reflects a growing trend in downtown Vancouver and is the most recent move aimed at making the West End Business Improvement Association's Decorative Lighting Vision for the West End a reality. The new linear lighting along three blocks of Davie Village, and the lighting above Bute Street at Davie, are examples of this vision. This lighting complements the various lighting initiatives already established in the area including the Honda Celebration of Light, St. Paul's Lights of Hope, Bright Nights in Stanley Park and the Lights For Life trees at Beach and Bidwell.

"It is our school's version of BC Place. Displays will change with different holidays, community events, and other causes," says Zubovic 

After over a year of work and the drafting of over 60 funding proposals, Zubovic heard back from three community stakeholders - Burrard Arts Foundation, the West End BIA and Hollyburn Properties. Each stakeholder committed to help fund the cost of the materials to create the installation. 

Allan Wasel, General Manager of Hollyburn Properties says his company got behind the project because it offered an opportunity to continue to build on the company's five year partnership with the school.

"The Glowing Wall project builds on our long-term partnership with City School at King George Secondary, and aligns with our dedication to help animate the West End community where we have been providing quality rental housing for the past 40 years," he said.

Meanwhile, the West End Business Improvement Association says it backed the public art because it fit in perfectly with their Decorative Lighting Vision for the West End.

"Adding feature lighting on buildings along Denman is part of our vision. Our organization was thrilled when King George High School approached us to assist with making the Glowing Wall initiative a reality," said Stephen Regan, the Executive Director of the West End BIA. "The Glowing Wall is a great example of community collaboration and will help to make the West End a more special and memorable place for locals and visitors alike."

For the Burrard Arts Foundation, the opportunity to support the Glowing Wall aligned with their mission to promote the development of visual arts in Canada

"A main focus of BAF is the production of public art and projects that help to beautify our streets and create visual interest in the urban environment. As such, we are proud to support this creative initiative and the enthusiastic efforts of its creators," said Chantal Sullivan a staff member with the Foundation.