Originally Published On:
January 1, 2016
Originally Published By:
Haliburton Echo
Beaver
Written By:
Youkie Stagg
Work created by Mary Anne Barkhouse, Michael Belmore, and 2002 HHSS Visual Arts students.
The beaver is a symbol of many things, for Canada it is a symbol of the fur trade which allowed for Canada to gain wealth and attention in its early years and become the country that it is today. In opposition to this, “Beaver” tackles the idea of nature taking back from humanity. Barkhouse and Belmore worked together with the high school art students to teach them the process to make a public sculpture. In the early stages of the planning process the class wanted to create an army of beavers, then the plan adapted into a beaver chewing down a parking meter, then the plan was adapted to a beaver chewing down a lamp post. However these ideas were either too time consuming or too expensive and when the Municipality of Minden Hills was able to donate a lamppost, the piece evolved to what it is today.
The Sculpture Forest offers free guided tours each Tuesday from 10-11:30 am and a shorter “Curator Selection” tour on Wednesday from 12:10 – 12:50. Meet at the kiosk in the Fleming College parking lot.