The story behind a truck covered in teacups in Brandon

Talia the Teacup Truck. (Source: Kimberlee Bridget Shaw)

If you’re ever visiting Brandon, Man., you might want to pay a visit to Talia. She’s beautiful, delicate, and a true work of art.

Talia is a teacup-covered truck outside Lady of the Lake. Though the truck itself is not operational, tourists from all over come to see the striking design.

“I think it’s a [1948] GMC truck, one tonne, that we bought and had towed to the parking lot at Lady of the Lake and proceeded to cover it, mosaic it with china – a lot of teacups, teapots,” explained Kimberlee Bridget Shaw, artistic director at Lady of the Lake.

Talia the Teacup Truck was created in collaboration with artist Sharon Loeppky.

The mosaic was first made in the summer of 2016 with the help of donated pieces of china.

Shaw said Talia gets cleaned and fixed up every year, with new pieces continually being added.

She noted the truck sits outside year-round and weathers all the Manitoba seasons.

“We find the old china, the real fine bone china, lasts the longest,” she said.

“I mean, this truck has sat out in the elements for years now and that china just holds up. It’s amazing.”

Shaw explained that the creation of Talia came about after she attended a marketing course in Colorado where one idea was to build a monument for your business.

She said she considered a number of different concepts for monuments before she landed on the idea of creating a mosaic on a truck.

The truck is a celebration of the tradition of tea – something that’s always been an important aspect of Shaw’s business.

“Tea was always involved in my businesses,” she said.

“It has grown over the years and where it is at present is a café, pub, restaurant situation but we still like to do tea with a teacup and little individual teapots.”

Tourist Attraction

Shaw said Talia is both an art statement and a marketing tool that’s helped the shop get into some tourist publications.

She said people come all the time to take pictures.

“We’re outside by the truck all the time and I can’t believe how many people take pictures in front of that truck and look at the little things…it’s kind of a bit of memorabilia for people, history, as well as just beauty in the china,” she said.

Lois Ruston, president of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce, said she is a huge proponent of public art like the teacup truck.

“I think anytime you have public art like that, that is accessible and that people can see and touch and experience, it just makes for a more fun and creative community,” she said.

She said attractions like the truck help to bring people into the community and put Brandon on the map as a place to visit.

“It only benefits the community and certainly businesses within the community,” Ruston said.

Those who want to see the teacup truck in person can find it outside Lady of the Lake on 17th Street North in Brandon.