“FIREWEED” by Bekah Brown was a temporary artwork installation in Esplanade Park as part of Winter Nights, City Lights. 

About the Artwork

FIREWEED is an interpretation of a field filled with fireweed plants constructed from driveway reflectors.  The fireweed plant is a healer of both land and people; it is one of the first plants to bring life back to an area following a forest fire and it has medicinal properties known around the world.  As such, this piece creates space for mourning what’s been lost during the COVID-19 pandemic while celebrating resilience and symbolizing hope for the future.  Driveway reflectors were used to create the fireweed sculptures, as they are common and useful tools especially in the winter with limited daytime hours.  The driveway markers reflect motion activated light back to the viewer, signifying the joy and strength that comes from connecting with each other, creating strong support networks that aid in healing individual and collective loss.

About the Artist

Bekah is a multi-disciplinary artist; her practice includes fashion, textiles, and multimedia art installations. She has shared parts of her ancestral exploration through her work as she learns how each tradition has impacted who she is as well as how a non-visible disability and mental health disorder have impacted her life and identity.  She is driven to continue exploring and engaging with her experiences as artistic creation is fundamental to her understanding and healing processes.  She shares her resulting work as it offers an opportunity for emotional connection and communication, encouraging further conversations and considerations around the subject matter; acknowledging the validity of varied experiences.

To learn more, visit Bekah’s website.

This project is sponsored by