The Sculpture Project Fundraising Campaign Begins

October 5, 2020 – Fenelon Falls, ON – The Sculpture Project: Two public artworks will be installed at the Rain Garden in Fenelon Falls, the first project initiated by the Fenelon Arts Committee (FAC).

Established in 2018, the FAC is a volunteer committee that identifies opportunities for artists, strategizes on arts initiatives, and works to increase public access and engagement with art in Fenelon Falls.

The FAC is currently fundraising for the Sculpture Project; the installation of two public artworks in the Rain Garden south of Maryboro Lodge: The Fenelon Museum. The committee received over twenty submissions from various artists and teams for this project. An independent jury of local arts and cultural members short listed five proposals and two works were ultimately selected. The sculptures will be permanently installed on large limestone rocks and will stand as public art.

The first work is Portage, by James C. Smith. Smith has over 40 years of artistic experience and is based in Madoc, Ontario. His sculpture features three life-sized bronze canoe paddle figures participating in a portage. Together the figures create a dynamic procession through the park. Smith’s sculpture is an homage to the location’s history; a portage and gathering area of First Nations’ Peoples, the beginning of the community of Fenelon Falls, forestry, logging, and its current use as a recreational park.

The second work by Susan Rankin is titled River Grove. Rankin has been using the garden as inspiration in her glass work for over 32 years. Based in Apsley, Ontario she lives in the hardwood forest on the edge of the Precambrian Shield. Her sculpture is a gathering of 10 glass and steel towers 6–8 feet tall; a nod to the region’s forests and logging history. Natural light will illuminate the glass elements throughout the day and will beckon with playful punches of colour in the snowy months of winter.

The FAC has launched its fundraising campaign and is happy to announce they have successfully raised almost half of the funds needed for this project. The committee’s target is $50,000 in order to proceed and procure the sculptures, which will ultimately be on display as City art. Any excess donations will be applied to future public art projects in and around Fenelon Falls. The FAC is grateful for the support and assistance the Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes, and especially its Community Fund Fenelon Falls.

There are many ways to donate to this exciting project and donations are eligible for a charitable receipt. Please visit the FAC website for complete details on how you can support the Fenelon Arts Committee Sculpture Project.

Final Selections

Two Sculptures Have Been Selected For Installation

The jury conducted their final review in April 2020. From the 5 short listed proposals, 2 sculptures were selected for installation. Our original timeline targeted summer 2020 for installation on-site. Due to the current pandemic, our project timeline is on hold. We are monitoring the situation closely and will provide updates as we move forward.

We would like to thank everyone for their input, enthusiasm, and continued support on our first initiative.

The Fenelon Arts Committee is excited to announce James C. Smith’s Portage and Susan Rankin’s River Grove as the two finalists. Congratulations! Learn more about the artists, their designs, and thoughts below.

JAMES C. SMITH
PORTAGE

PROJECT STATEMENT

My vision is to create a striking and expressive sculptural installation titled Portage. This engaging and iconic work highlights the portage at Fenelon Falls as a focal point of particular historical interest. It celebrates the foundational building block of the community of Fenelon Falls. This sculpture simultaneously honours the history and the vitality of the community; presenting a physical reminder of the many community-building contributions of First Nations peoples.

Three whimsical figures are rendered as life-sized canoe paddles in bronze. Two paddles are combined to create each of the figures with the paddle handles bent to resemble legs in walking position. These figures inclusively represent individuals from First Nations as well as current community members and those enjoying the towns abundance of recreational resources. In keeping with the portage theme, each figure carries a bronze canoe. The three figures together create a dynamic procession through the park.

A plaque will be mounted on the limestone base containing appropriately vetted text which acknowledges the history of the First Nations presence.

Measurements: 1.17 x 1.47 x 0.9 m, 46 x 58 x 35 inches

SUSAN RANKIN
RIVER GROVE

PROJECT STATEMENT

Through the past 32 years as a glass artist I have explored the idea of garden through my work. I live in a hard wood forest on the edge of the Canadian Precambrian Shield. The changes in the landscape coupled with the movement of light from season to season has lead to examinations of how glass columns can reference a new sense of space; a grove, a forest, a gathering. Natural light is a critical element for glass in outdoor settings. The shifting movement of the light throughout the day illuminates the glass elements, creating bursts of glowing colour that dance in the sunlight. As the day shifts, so does the shadows of the towering columns marking time and space.

The colours I have chosen for the sculpture: the blues represent the flow of water and the drop of the falls, the greys to acknowledge the layers of limestone in the area, greens to represent the trees, and orange-reds to warm the space like the sunset. While thinking of the this proposal, I considered:

• The historic connection to the logging industry, the River Grove represents the forest and logs that built our country.

• Fenelon Falls is known as the 'Jewel of the Kawarthas', this term seemed so adaptable to the way glass captures light; the sparkle, the intensity, the colour will mimic a jewel.

• The area known for its flat slab limestone which the falls so beautifully rolls over. The stacked components of glass represent the layers of stone found in the area.

• Lastly, for me, a grove represents a gathering. Lock 34 is one of the most popular locks in the summer months, thus as a grove is a gathering of trees, the area is a gathering place for a community.

River Grove would be comprised of 10 glass and steel columns. This series of work has been designed from nature, for nature. The columns sway in the wind creating a calming, natural movement. The columns are not damaged by wind because of the round nature of the glass; the wind cuts around and through the shapes. The transition of colour in each column is made up of several shades and tints in the glass elements. As the daylight shifts the piece moves in shadow, reminiscent of a sun dial, speaking to movement and time. During the winter months, the sculpture will beckon with playful punches of colour in the cold and snowy landscape.

Measurements: Each of the ten columns is comprised of 16 to 24 hand formed glass elements, approximately 2.5cm/5 inches in diameter, and range in height from 1.18m/6-8 ft.

Sculpture Project Jury Members

March 31, 2020 - Fenelon Falls, ON - A jury of local arts and cultural members was selected to review the submissions. The jury members are:

Lesley Drummond is an artist, educator, and curator who has been actively involved in the Arts community of the Kawartha Lakes for close to 30 years. Before coming to the Kawarthas, Drummond completed her studies in painting at Queen’s University and worked at Gallery Moos, the Ydessa Gallery, and Harbourfront Art Gallery in Toronto. From 1998–2000 she was the artist in residence at Wakami Lake, Ivanhoe and Lake Superior Provincial Parks. Drummond was the Head of Visual Art and Media at I.E. Weldon Secondary School, Lindsay, as well as a senior member of the Trillium Lakelands Arts Camp Steering Committee where she has been Head of Visual Arts for the last ten years. Drummond is also the Director of the Kawartha Arts Network, an artists co-operative in Lindsay, Ontario.

Donna Goodwin has worked in the public and not-for-profit sectors for over 20 years. She is passionate about engaging residents and visitors in the many unique cultural facilities found in rural Ontario.  A lifelong learner, Donna holds a Masters in Urban Planning specializing in local economic development and revitalization through the cultivation of cultural communities. For the last 10 years, she worked in the County of Simcoe, developing product that celebrated the authentic stories of rural life.   She was a member of the Orillia Public Art Committee, initiated community art initiatives such as the Simcoe County Barn Quilt Trail and administered funding programs to support local arts, culture and heritage initiatives. She is excited to begin her work with the City of Kawartha Lakes as the Economic Development Officer – Arts and Culture.

Darcie Kennedy is currently the Managing Director at Colborne Street Gallery, Fenelon Falls, Ontario. She holds a Honours Bachelor of Arts, Specialist in Art & Art History, from the University of Toronto, a Diploma in Art & Art History from Sheridan College, and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Ottawa. She has worked at Lonsdale Gallery, Blackwood Gallery, the Toronto Entertainment District Business Improvement Area (BIA), and interned at the Canada Council for the Arts in the Audience and Market Development Department. Kennedy was also a Teaching Assistant at Sheridan College and the University of Ottawa.

Susan Taylor is the Executive Director of Kawartha Art Gallery, formerly The Lindsay Gallery. While a passion for art saw Susan pursue a post-secondary education in fine arts, a desire to earn a living saw Susan pursue further education in the field of management in the not-for-profit sector. Working now from behind a desk rather than an easel, Susan advocates for investment in the creative economy of the City of Kawartha Lakes through working to build partnerships between the municipal government and the cultural sector.

Jessica Wilson is a Curator and Collections Manager at Westerkirk Capital. She holds a Masters in Archives and Records Management from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Criticism from the University of Western Ontario. She was a founding board member of Kawartha Lakes Culture and Heritage Network, and currently serves as Vice-President of the board at Victoria County Historical Society. She has experience working in artist run centres, museums, and art galleries in both Canada and the UK.

Fenelon Arts Committee Launches Public Art Initiative

July 18, 2019 - Fenelon Falls, ON - The Fenelon Arts Committee (FAC) is pleased to announce the launch of its public sculpture project and invites expressions of interest from artists or teams of artists to design and install two sculptures. The works are to be mounted on large limestone bases at the Rain Garden, south of Maryboro Lodge: The Fenelon Museum. This opportunity is open to artists and artist teams with a connection to the Kawarthas.

The works should provide an engaging visual art aesthetic that is visible from all perspectives. The works should consider the context and character of the area: as the Oak Street Conservation District, the Indigenous use of the location as a portage and gathering place, the historical development of Fenelon Falls, or the natural heritage of the region and waterway. The budget for each sculpture is up to $25,000. All proposals must be inclusive of total costs. Selected works will be financed by charitable fundraising and ultimately donated to the City of Kawartha Lakes as public art.

The selection process will be undertaken by a five person Artists Selection Panel consisting of one representative from each of the City of Kawartha Lakes and the FAC, together with three prominent members of the local arts community. Five proposals will be selected from the initial submissions for final jury selection.

Initial Submissions to be received by September 30, 2019. For further information, Call for Submissions details and application, please visit fenelonarts.ca.

Established in 2018, the FAC identifies opportunities for artists, strategizes on arts initiatives, and works to increase public access and engagement with art in the village of Fenelon Falls. The committee is made up of dedicated volunteer residents who share a common vision and passion for art and their community.