Altona’s most recognizable landmark has returned, brighter, stronger, and built to inspire visitors for decades to come.
The community’s iconic giant sunflower painting will soon take its place along Tenth Avenue NW after an extensive rebuild that not only recreates the beloved attraction but reimagines it for a new generation.
Cameron Cross has been busy in Altona in recent weeks painting the new and improved giant Van Gogh “Sunflowers” painting, which the town hopes to have back up on its easel in time for the Manitoba Sunflower Festival this month
Artist Cameron Cross, who created the original landmark in 1998 and has been in town in recent weeks working on the new version, says the finished piece will be far more than a simple replacement of the one that was damaged by strong winds a year and a half ago.
“It’s a completely new painting,” said Cross. “I wanted it to remain synonymous with Altona, but even more so I wanted it to be reimagined, reinvigorated. Even though it’s the same thing, I wanted it to be something new as well.”
While the original canvas served the community well for nearly three decades (with a restoration completed in 2017), Cross said advances in materials and construction techniques have resulted in a dramatically more durable artwork.
The new canvas is built using marine-grade plywood, multiple layers of fiberglass, protective gel coat, industrial primer, automotive-grade acrylic urethane enamel, and a clear protective finish.
“It’s night and day between the old canvas and the new canvas,” Cross said. “The painting will eventually fade, but the canvas itself should last for many decades.”
Although inspired by one of Vincent Van Gogh’s famous sunflower paintings, Cross said he intentionally avoided creating an exact replica of his own earlier work. Instead, the updated version features richer colours and a bolder, more dynamic appearance while remaining faithful to the original composition.
“I tried to reproduce it exactly in 1997,” he said. “This time I’m creating a bigger, bolder, more dynamic version.”
The massive artwork spans 24 feet wide by 32 feet tall and is being painted on four large panels that will be joined together on a steel frame.
The town is aiming to have it installed on the frame in time for the upcoming Manitoba Sunflower Festival.
For Cross, the project has been both a professional milestone and a personal homecoming. Having taught at W.C. Miller Collegiate during the 1990s, he credits the community with embracing the landmark from the beginning.
“I’ve got such a connection to Altona,” he said. “I love the people here and they have treated me very, very well.”
Over the years, the painting has become one of Manitoba’s best-known roadside attractions, appearing in travel publications, textbooks, and art books around the world. Versions have also been installed in Altona’s sister city of Emerald, Australia, and in Kansas.
Cross says he has always hoped the painting would encourage visitors to explore everything else Altona has to offer.
“I’ve always said it’s something people can come and see, and then while they’re in Altona they can visit the Gallery [in the Park] and experience the community.”
When the renewed landmark is installed, Cross hopes residents will see it not simply as a restored attraction, but as a symbol of community pride.
“This isn’t just for me,” he said. “It’s also for the people of Altona. It’s become part of the community, and I want young people, longtime residents, and visitors alike to appreciate it for many years to come.”
