Public art is usually a problem. The committee and the public don't see eye to eye, what is chosen costs more than seems reasonable, and once you've got it, you can't get rid of it. But somehow, the people of Sidney have solved those conundrums. Their Sidney Seaside Sculpture Walk is an esthetic and economic success story.
On a recent trip to Sidney, I went beyond my usual destinations - the Mary Winspear Centre and the string of bookshops on Beacon Avenue - and strolled along the foreshore, drawn there by the new Sculpture Walk. It's a beautiful way to spend an hour.
About 10 years ago, a breakwater reconfigured the shoreline. Soon, local businessman Grant Rogers and his associates took over Mineral World and began construction of the lovely Sidney Pier Hotel. With the Ocean Discovery Centre, murals on the Fish Market building and a pretty bandshell, things began looking up. Now there's a summer Thursday street market on Beacon Avenue, the Sidney Fine Art Show and the autumn Art Sea Festival.
The Sculpture Walk is poised to take things to a new level. A year ago, the mayor and council met with businesses and citizens, the Peninsula Celebration Society and a few key volunteers to get the concept of a waterfront sculpture walk underway. Key contributions of Sue Meyer, Richard Paquette and Lisa Makar have been vital.
Word went out to interested sculptors and more than 20 responded. They were asked to create work that could withstand the elements during two years on the walk. As long as it didn't endanger public safety and wasn't considered "offensive," a wide variety of sculpture was encouraged.
Entries came from as far away as Colorado, through most of the artists are local.
The meandering walkway offers brilliant locations for the installations, arranged by the town's engineering department.
Surrounded by colourful plantings, convenient benches and the irresistible lure of the water's edge, the sculptures draw strollers along and give reason to linger. The area was already studded with pools and fountains, commemorative plaques and a number of sculptures. With 12 new works added this summer, it just keeps getting better.
The work of Fred Dobbs, a world-famous sand sculptor, is represented by an elegant bronze relief of sea otters and kelp. David Hunwick, best known for his bronze rabbits, has made what appears to be a casting of white bones framing the view, which he calls The Eye of the Ocean. Jack Kreutzer, a talented figurative sculptor in metal, contributed Shout. Each work is clearly labelled and bears a QR code by which people with smart phones can access the artists' websites on the spot.
Louis-Marc Simard's mysterious marble and chrome figure, The Muse, is one of the most popular exhibits. Michael Robb's haunting dog-headed copper figure Ponticus is reminiscent of something from an Egyptian tomb. Apparently, the public is not as conservative as one might expect. The work is all for sale: what a perfect place to imagine how it would look in your garden.
Particularly striking is the sinuous pylon of aluminium by father-and-son team Deryk and Samuel Houston. Photographs just don't do justice to the dazzling play of light that jumps and dances from the burnished aluminium surface. Another work that brings a kinetic kick to the walk is the Wind Spinner by Lyman Whitaker. Two copper pinwheels rotate in opposite directions while the whole assembly turns on its axis. I'd like to see a much larger installation of this work, taking advantage of the breezes that refresh the area.
As I walked along the shoreline, I noticed that people were inspired to create beach sculpture from driftwood, kelp and feathers. From the branches of a lovely old tree, someone had hung a collection of scavenged bottles. Each bottle held a little treasure - a few shells, a rubber duck. It was a beautiful - and anonymous - installation.
Traditionalists will enjoy Armando Barbon's bronze girl Pure Energy, who stands in a puddle of real water. Another detailed bronze casting is Board Dog by Paul Harder. This lifesized and ugly little bull dog on a skate board is the mascot of kids at the park. And, though it predates the Sculpture Walk, Nathan Scott's fisherman waiting on a bench at the end of the Sidney Fishing Pier always holds an offering of flowers.
The organizers expect to see half a dozen new sculptures next year, and each will be retired after two years. Every year, the Sculpture Walk will be renewed. Sponsorship opportunities to assist artists with the expenses incurred in creating substantial outdoor work are being researched. Really, it's quite remarkable what has been achieved in this little city by the sea.
Sidney Seaside Sculpture Walk is located along 2.5 kilometres of waterfront, easy to access at the foot of Beacon Avenue in Sidney. For details, visit sculpturewalk.ca.
