Not one, but two new intriguing sculptures open in Canada's Capital Region
OTTAWA, July 10, 2019 /CNW/ - Two new artworks, chosen through a call for proposal process launched last year by Canadian Heritage, have been installed in Canada's Capital Region.
Two shepherds stand face to face on top of their bright blue sheep joined by… a shepherd's staff—or maybe it's a long Pinocchio-like nose. Who are the sheep and is there a lie? The absurd Nos Bergers (Our Shepherds), created by Montréal-based artist Patrick Bérubé, speaks of those who take power and those who are led. It can be found at the Tin House Courtyard just off Murray Street in the ByWard Market in Ottawa.
The mood is very different at Montcalm-Taché Park in Gatineau, where W.W. Hung's Girl With Paper Boats invites us to stop for a moment and reflect on childhood lost. Inspired by the character of Danica in Canadian author Guy Gavriel Kay's novel Children of Earth and Sky, a little girl drags three paper boats on a string, each representing something she has lost. The sculpture is a commentary on the current global refugee crisis and its aftermath that affects the most vulnerable among us: our children.
Our Shepherds and Girl With Paper Boats are exhibited as part of the Art in the Capital program, which adds warmth and vitality to parks, streets and public places in Canada's Capital Region, while showcasing the talent of Canadian artists.
Quotes
"The call for proposal process launched last year attracted a range of talented Canadian artists from across the country, some of whom will now see their works displayed in the Capital Region. As you walk, bike or stroll around the Capital this summer, take a moment to enjoy and reflect on these sensitive and thought-provoking outdoor works."
-The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism
Quick Facts
Patrick Bérubé is an artist from Montréal who holds a master's degree in visual and media arts.
W.W. Hung is an artist and a member of the Sculptors Society of Canada who lives in Toronto.
The figures in Our Shepherds are fabricated in painted resin and they are standing on an aluminum block. Girl with Paper Boats is fabricated in resin and fiberglass.
Our Shepherds and Girl With Paper Boats were selected as part of a request for proposals from the Department of Canadian Heritage. The request was for finished artwork that was appropriate for display year-round in an outdoor environment in the Capital Region. The works are returned to the artists after they have been displayed.
Associated Links
Public Art and Monuments – Temporary Exhibits
SOURCE Canadian Heritage
(media only), please contact: Simon Ross, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, 819-997-7788; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]
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