More Public Art is Coming to Burlington
Published December 6, 2017 at 1:44 am
A design proposal has been chosen for a new public artwork piece in Burlington’s west end.
A design proposal has been chosen for a new public artwork piece in Burlington’s west end.
“The city is thrilled that the public art collection in Burlington is growing. It’s important to install meaningful art to help beautify our streetscapes,” said manager of arts and culture Angela Paparizo.
It’s going on a median along Plains Rd. near Francis Rd. in Aldershot.
A community jury made up of residents, local artists and business owners reviewed three artist proposals and public feedback from 220 residents over the summer.
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The jury’s final decision is Xiaojing Yan’s piece, Dwelling, which will be taking centre stage.
Image courtesy of the City of Burlington
“This public artwork will beautify the Plains Road area for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists,” said Ward 1 Coun. Rick Craven.
“It is part of the Plains Road Village Vision’s long-term plan to improve Aldershot’s main street. The city’s public art program continues to enhance the quality of life for residents by bringing the work of recognized artists to the city centre and neighbourhoods. I look forward to seeing the completed artwork on the median.”
The artwork is expected to be installed in spring 2018.
Dwelling has six house shapes in different sizes made of stainless steel and can be appreciated at many vantage points.
The artwork creates a marker for the community and a sense of identity and belonging. A house creates a sense of place, belonging and home. The notion of home relates to places of memory, family history, social comment and environmental issues. It is through relationships and experiences that a house becomes a home. The house image has been turned into a greenhouse to honour the Royal Botanical Gardens. This represents health, physical activity and recreation. It also suggests an evolving social metaphor of sustainability and self-sufficiency.
Yan is a Chinese-Canadian artist who lives and works in Markham.
She received an MFA for Sculpture from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a BFA from Nanjing Arts Institution in China.
Yan’s work has been exhibited in galleries and museums internationally. Her work has been included in many private and public collections.
She’s also a recipient of numerous awards and grants, including the 2014 Outstanding Young Alumni award from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a project grant from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Chalmers Arts Fellowship and Mid-career Grant from Ontario Arts Council.
“In 2010, my design was one of the designs selected for Burlington Downtown Bike Rack Project. I always feel attached to Burlington for this reason,” said Yan.
“I am genuinely excited by the goal of the project: to beautify and convert Plains Road from an old highway to a residential main street.”
For more information, click here.
Another piece of public art was unveiled last October.
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