ORCAR
30 community members. 3 months. One 20-foot glowing orca whale built from a decommissioned truck.
See the Orcar
A short film from the Friday-night build sessions — meet the community putting this whale together.
“What does it mean to transform the machine that warms the ocean into the creature that depends on it?”
The Vision
A 20-foot illuminated orca built on the chassis of a decommissioned diesel truck. Visitors climb inside, stand in its belly, hear it breathe, and watch shifting blue and green light fill the space around them.
Based in Squamish, BC — on Sḵwx̱wú7mesh territory, at the edge of the Atl’ka7tsem / Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region — the Orcar carries a message from the endangered Southern Resident orcas of these very waters to every festival it visits this summer.
20 ft
long
8 ft
wide
14 ft
tall
10
people inside
How It’s Built
The Orcar isn’t a studio project. It’s built every Friday night at Create Makerspace in Squamish by ~30 community members spanning age, background, and skill level.
Participants learn MIG welding, electronics, laser cutting, sewing, and sound design — many for the first time — mentored side-by-side by experienced fabricators and artists.
TIMELINE
March – June 2026
Demo day: June 1
LOCATION
Create Makerspace
Squamish, BC
Coming Together
Steel armature rings, laser-cut fin panels, and pieces of the whale starting to take shape.
More on Instagram
Join the Build
We’re looking for makers, artists, and community members to help bring the Orcar to life. No experience required — just curiosity and willingness to learn.
Participants
- Join the Create Public Art program (March–June 2026)
- Friday co-making sessions at Create Makerspace, Squamish
- All skill levels welcome — learn welding, woodworking, electronics
- 30 spots available
Skilled Contributors
- Welders (MIG welding, steel forming)
- Electricians / electronics (LED lighting, Arduino, sensors)
- Sound design (interior ambient soundscape)
- Surface finishing / painting
Volunteers & Supporters
- Festival setup / teardown crew
- Documentation (photo / video)
- Community outreach
- General support
Where to Find Us
Sea-to-Sky and beyond — the stops the Orcar is rolling out to.
June 4–8, 2026
Otherworld
Laketown Ranch · Lake Cowichan, BC
Kindle Arts
Summer 2026
Squamish Arts Festival
The Big Weekend · Squamish, BC
Squamish Arts Council
Aug 30 – Sept 7, 2027
Burning Man
Black Rock City · Nevada, USA
Long-term dream
Partners
The Orcar exists because of these organizations. Learn more or support their work directly.
HOME BASE
Create Makerspace Society
Squamish’s community fabrication space. Hosts the Create Public Art program where the Orcar is being built.
Visit createmakerspace.ca →CONSERVATION PARTNER
Ocean Wise
Protecting and restoring the world’s oceans — including the Southern Resident orcas the Orcar is built to celebrate.
Visit ocean.org →PRESENTING PARTNER
Squamish Arts Council
Champions arts and culture in Squamish, BC — host of The Big Weekend & Squamish Arts Festival.
Visit squamisharts.com →