Client: Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Garden

Overview

Public artwork to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Garden.

Goals

The Garden team's goals were to provide a focal point to complement and enhance the beauty of the garden and to increase its attractiveness as a destination point for pedestrian traffic along the Bow River Pathway as well as to celebrate their community and gardening. Space was at a premium for the sculpture so the piece had to be in scale with the small plot of land and also could not pose a danger to gardeners both young and old. Edges were rounded and a thick coating applied. Conceptually, all gardeners till the soil with shovels so they were used a s a basis of the sculpture. They are arranged to form the shape of the earth.
Each shovel symbolizes a member of the community who are unified by the
"earth" globe shape, the soil of which they all till. The shovels emanate
from the center with the spades pointed outwards. The sculpture can be
likened to an exploding star: a community that explodes with energy and
vitality.

Process

Artist collaborated with members of the Community Garden team to achieve their project goals for for a safe and visually interesting piece in scale with the garden.