Public Voting on Art Installation that will sit 70ft in the air, on a hill on Essa rd.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Barrie, Ontario – Monday July 27th, 2015. Pratt Homes, Barrie’s largest builder since 1890, is hosting an art competition that will allow residents of Barrie to vote on a new art installation that will sit 70ft in the air, on Essa rd and will be seen from most corners of the city.
Karen Hansen, Owner of Pratt Homes said “The reason this is so incredible, and why we want members of our community to vote, is because the feature piece of art will be seen by residents and visitors to Barrie. This art piece could become an icon for our City, like the Spirit Catcher and Spirit Clock, and tell the story of who we are as a community.”
The feature piece of art will rest above the tree tops, on the roof of a 6-storey condo building that will be built on the hill at 300 Essa Road. The piece of art will be seen from many different areas of Barrie including 5-7 seconds of viewing time for north bound traffic on highway 400 and about 30-35 seconds of viewing time for south bound traffic. Also, the feature piece of art will be illuminated at night and will shine bright for the city to see.
The City of Barrie is excited about the competition. Mayor Lehman said “Pratt Homes is enriching the visual and cultural landscape of Barrie with their commitment to public art, and this new competition showcases not only incredible Canadian talent but brings all Barrie residents into the process. Congratulations.”
The competition will include four remarkable artists. Below is an introduction and the name of their submission:
Aylan Couchie:a young female indigenous artist who recently won the International Sculpture Centre’s 2015 Outstanding Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award. Submission: H.I.O Big Chiefs
Ted Fullerton:chair of the Barrie Public Art Committee; and responsible for such works as the Barrie Cultural Award for the Maclaren art centre as well as his sculpture Pedestrian for the city of Kitchener and his work can been seen in the National Gallery of Canada. Submission: Dodona
John McEwen: internationally renowned artist who is responsible for many incredible works including the installation, Searchlight, Starlight and Spotlight outside the Air Canada Centre. Submission: Head and Heart
Ron Baird: internationally renowned, award winning artist who is responsible for many remarkable works including Barrie’s famous Spirit Catcher and Spirit Clock. Submission: Champagne
You can view the artist’s full submissions including complimentary pieces as well as their inspiration and artist profiles by visiting thegallerybarrie.ca. Public voting will begin July 31st. You can vote at the Pratt Homes Kempenfest booth, the Pratt Homes Sales offices, online or other voting locations throughout the city.
The winning submission will be announced in early September then be hosted in The Gallery Condominiums sales office which opens Saturday October 17th, 2015.