In 1997, artist Cameron Cross installed The Big Easel, a 75-foot-tall sculpture of an easel displaying a reproduction of Vincent van Gogh's sunflower paintings, in Altona, Canada, to honor the town's status as the Sunflower Capital of Canada. After a windstorm on February 28 blew off a panel of the painting and further damage occurred on March 15, the town removed the four-ton painting and conducted a survey to gauge public support for restoration. A majority of respondents (68%) voted to save the artwork, with 60% preferring a hand-painted canvas over a printed replica and 61% wanting to keep the Van Gogh sunflowers. Cross plans to rebuild the fiberglass canvas from scratch and repaint the image in 2026, with costs estimated at CA$70,000 ($50,500) for a durable marine-grade plywood version.
This story matters because it highlights the ongoing challenges and community debates surrounding the maintenance of large-scale public art. The Big Easel is a beloved local landmark and part of a series of three such easels in sunflower-themed towns in Canada, Australia, and the United States. The decision to invest taxpayer money in restoring the artwork—rather than replacing it with a cheaper printed replica or removing it entirely—reflects the cultural and economic value that communities place on distinctive public art installations. It also underscores the practical lessons artists learn over time about durability and conservation, as Cross incorporates improvements based on his experience with later versions of the easel.