Yellowknife (May 05/06) - The ravens are coming. They will be more than a metre tall, impervious to the weather and covered with bizarre designs.

They will also be made of fibreglass. This August, 15 of the Northern symbols will be spread around the capital to coincide with the inaugural Yellowknife Arts Festival.

"It's a bit whimsical," said festival board member Betty Wilcox, "but it helps with the beautification of the downtown core."

She said the festival had been working in tandem with the Downtown Enhancement Committee on the project, which will see local artists commissioned to decorate the sculptures.

"It's a project to bring the community and the art community together," said Jordan Martin, the artist responsible for one of the two raven designs.

Similar projects have popped up in major cities around the country in recent years. In Edmonton, it was bison; in Toronto, moose; and in Vancouver, orcas.

Martin's design is a two-foot-tall seated raven, which he said will be "perched" on various structures around town.

A larger four-foot-high "flying" raven will be developed by artist John Sabourin in the near future. After a month of steady work, Martin is near completion on a clay and foam carving that will serve as the prototype for a murder of fake birds.

"We're basically providing the artist with a canvas," he said. "It gives everybody the same starting point. You can see the creativity in what each artist does with them."

In Vancouver, orcas were designed to look like copper submarines and Elvis impersonators, complete with leisure suits, pompadours and trademark sneers. Edmonton saw bisons altered into ski jumpers, among other designs.

While the ravens are meant to brighten up the city, vandalism is still a concern, according to Fibreglass North project manager Thomas Wunderlin.

In 2001, 20 of Edmonton's fibreglass bison were "castrated" by vandals. Two men were eventually charged for the crime.

While the ravens will be weather resistant, he said the solution to vandalism is the placement of the birds.

Many of the smaller sculptures will be placed out of reach, while the larger birds will be in "high-profile areas."

"Unless you want to be a real jerk, there's no reason to go after them," said Martin.

The Aurora Arts Festival runs from Aug. 3-7 this year.