Seven years ago, a very special, extremely talented incognito Ranchlander decided to use their creativity to liven up the entranceway to our community. Despite keeping a low profile and operating clandestine operations, we were lucky enough to have an interview with our local artist. Enjoy!
What inspired you to start, and how did you come up with the idea?
It was inspired by the desire to bring more fun to the neighbourhood. My partner and I had already been living in Ranchlands for many years and would drive by the Ranchlands sign every day. I started envisioning making the sign more fun by putting something up on the yellow sun. One day, I had the idea of putting sunglasses on it and just could not get the idea out of my head! That idea percolated for a while, and then we went through the process of building giant sunglasses out of wood. I had no idea where it would lead, but knew I had to take the first step.
What was the first sign you did?
The first one was the original sunglasses. We’ve recreated versions of them a few times over the years.
What is your favourite or most memorable sign?
Oh, that’s a tough one. So many favourites. One memorable one was the Santa hat from 2017. It was made with a mesh wire frame and red velvet fabric. It was a real challenge to build, and it kept falling off the sign, I had to go out in a snowstorm to put it back up a couple times, but it was worth it! I also loved the Halloween Ghostbusters, the “Welcome to Ranchlands”, the snowboard goggles, the watermelon, the flamingo scene, and the melting popsicle.
Have you encountered any challenges or obstacles while changing the signs?
In the beginning, we thought there might be some disapproving neighbours, who would want the sunglasses taken down, but then it was featured on the Ranchlands Roundup, and we realized that the community was actually enjoying it! Parking and running across the busy street with a ladder can be a bit of a challenge. Sometimes weather is an obstacle – rain and extreme temperatures have occasionally caused the signs to come off, but I have learned from it and now use much lighter materials and better mounting techniques.
How do you think your sign changes have impacted the neighbourhood and its residents?
For quite some time, we were totally unaware of the impact or if people liked it, but when the RCA started posting photos of the sign changes on social media, it was incredible to read the comments from community members! We were blown away by the enthusiasm and love for it, and by people’s stories of joy and anticipation around it. It really filled our hearts. From what we’ve heard, the kids really enjoy the changes. We always try to keep in mind that one of the main audiences are the local kids, so the signs are always family-friendly and fun. We have heard stories of people who talk to friends and family from across the country about the sign changes, some who say they always talk about a sign change with their neighbours, and many who laugh and delight over the excitement of a new sign with their kids on a drive home. What we do is a small thing, but it has become something that has spread joy and connection. I couldn’t think of a better outcome. We would love to hear more about how it has impacted people!
Have you ever been busted while installing a change?
When we first started, we were worried about getting caught, so we did the first one late at night. Someone who lived right across from the sign saw us from their backyard and asked us what we were doing, so we quickly finished up and left! Now we find it is best to do it in the middle of the day, at a time when the road isn’t busy and when people won’t be worried about shadowy characters in the dark with a ladder.
How do you decide on when to change it, which events to memorialize, and what design to use?
We really just follow our inspiration, trying to keep it changing in fun ways. We often do signs for the various holidays and seasons since these are a shared experience for the most part. The sign is something we want as many people as possible to enjoy. It’s great to have kids get in on the creativity. In the past we have gotten ideas from a local elementary school, where students drew their ideas, and we chose a few to put up. That was really fun, we would do that again! The “Welcome to Ranchlands” one was inspired by a family we know who was moving to the neighbourhood, and one of the Easter Bunny signs was drawn by my five-year-old nephew.
What happens to the designs after they are taken down?
After they’re taken down, they are recycled (they are now made with corrugated plastic); we have kept a few for reuse and some as art over the years. We have discussed donating them for sale in the future to raise money for community projects, including a proposal from some local friends of mine looking to refurbish the paint and the wood on the original sign structure; get in touch with the RCA if you are interested in a donation in exchange for an upcoming sign that you like!
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