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This powerful piece by Zimbabwean stone sculptor Tarzan Sithole shows multiple generations of women's face and figures. Matriarchy Artist: Tarzan Sithole Name of Sculpture: Matriarchy Material: Polished springstone Height: 2.3 metres Description: An obelisk shaped sculpture of women’s faces and figures Installation Date: November 2020 Number on Map: 36 Go to Gallery About the Artist: Tarzan Sithole is a third-generation Zimbabwean stone sculptor. His works are also on display at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens and the Kew Gardens in London. < Back to Sculptures

Sun Bench Scott McKay Name of Sculpture: Sun Bench Materials: Corten Steel Installation Date: 2018 Number on Map: D Go to Gallery Wendy Wilkins, the patron who purchased Mother Earth and commissioned the Sun Bench to accompany it, thought it would be lovely to add a couple more Scott McKay one-of-a-kind benches to create Mother Earth’s living room where a whole family or group of friends could gather. So, she worked with the Sculpture Forest to commission two new nature inspired benches to complete the set and create Mother Earth's living room. In 2018 the Haliburton Sculpture Forest teamed up with the Haliburton Village BIA (business Improvement Area) to create the Downtown Haliburton Sculpture Exhibition. This featured the display of six sculptures on the main street from Ontario artists from June to October. McKay’s Mother Earth was one of them. Mother Earth is McKay’s vision of the classical mother figure who is one with the tree of life. < Back to Sculptures

Forest Screen Bench Scott McKay Name of Sculpture: Forest Screen Bench Materials: Corten Steel Installation Date: 2020 Number on Map: E Go to Gallery Wendy Wilkins, the patron who purchased Mother Earth and commissioned the Sun Bench to accompany it, thought it would be lovely to add a couple more Scott McKay one-of-a-kind benches to create Mother Earth’s living room where a whole family or group of friends could gather. So, she worked with the Sculpture Forest to commission two new nature inspired benches - Forest Screen Bench and Fire Bench - to complete the set and create Mother Earth's living room. In 2018 the Haliburton Sculpture Forest teamed up with the Haliburton Village BIA (business Improvement Area) to create the Downtown Haliburton Sculpture Exhibition. This featured the display of six sculptures on the main street from Ontario artists from June to October. McKay’s Mother Earth was one of them. Mother Earth is McKay’s vision of the classical mother figure who is one with the tree of life. < Back to Sculptures

Carole Turner created her piece Storied Moons as part of the 2017 sculpture symposium, Carved on the Canadian Shield, in celebration of Canada 150. Storied Moons Carole Turner Name of Sculpture: Storied Moons Materials: Limestone Installation Date: June 2017 Number on Map: 31 Go to Gallery Carved on the Canadian Shield Four artists from three countries visited Haliburton for a three week sculpture symposium in 2017 in celebration of Dysart 150, Ontario 150, and Canada 150. Beginning with a block of limestone, each artist was tasked with creating a piece that reflected the theme of carving on the Canadian Shield. Artist's Statement: “Storied Moons” commemorates the 150 year anniversary of Canada, as well as the 150 year anniversaries of Ontario, and Dysart. A tower of three limestone moons are wrapped in incised “audio tapes,” representing the voices that tell the stories of their histories in the making. In my sculptures I often explore the notions of time, memory, history, and identity using moons as time capsules. Since childhood I have thought of moons as keepers of time, recording the events of the previous day as they set each morning and the sun rises. In another series of sculptures I use strips of metal to form video and audio tapes which I wrap around figures and forms to represent the memories of voices that we hear throughout our lives -- voices that stay with us, or come back to us again and again, and impact the formation of our beliefs and identities. For “Storied Moons” I have combined these two themes and metaphors to represent the triple histories, and the voices that narrate their stories. And if we listen carefully, we can hear 150 years of individual and collective voices echo throughout the sculpture forest. < Back to Sculptures

Darlene Bolahood is a Canadian visual artist who engages in many forms of visual communication through the arts. Darlene Bolahood Website: www.flemingcollege.ca/faculty/darlene-bolahood Darlene Bolahood engages in many forms of visual communication through the arts. She completed her B.Sc. at the University of Toronto, focusing on organic chemistry and philosophy, then continued to complete her MFA at the University of Waterloo. She has worked in industry as an artist and designer in textiles, retail and residential design, fashion and costume. She has exhibited her own studio work in mixed media painting and sculpture in both public and private galleries. Curriculum design and development projects for Ontario Colleges have included creative studies in fine arts, fine crafts, design, and computer animation and graphics. She is full-time faculty at the Haliburton Campus of Fleming College, delivering programs in Studio Art Certificates as well as the Visual and Creative Arts Diploma. < Back to Artists

Fagus grandifolia < Back Beech Ojibwe Name: azhaawemish Scientific Name: Fagus grandifolia Significance in Ojibwe Cultures: Azhaawemish means tattoo tree, it can handle you carving tattoos into it without it dying. How to Identify the Leaves: "American beech trees have broad crowns with bark that is smooth and a light bluish-grey that darkens with age. Its large oval leaves (six to 14 centimetres long) are dark bluish-green on top and lighter beneath. American beech nuts are edible and popular with many birds and mammals. They grow in pairs in bristly reddish-brown husks. Beech bark disease is currently threatening the species across its entire range." Sources: Image: https://www.ontario.ca/page/american-beech How to Identify Tree: https://www.ontario.ca/page/american-beech < Back Next >

Brightly coloured glass beads cover this shoe sculpture made by local artist Charles O'Neil. Fire and Ice: A Really Big Shoe Charles O'Neil Name of Sculpture: Fire and Ice: A Really Big Shoe Materials: Milled steel, Czech fire polished glass beads, faceted crystal glass beads, stainless steel wire Description: A larger-than-life, two metre tall, red and crystal stiletto shoe Installation Date: May, 2009 Number on Map: 20 Go to Gallery A few years ago Charles O'Neil was displaying his work at the Buyers Market of American Craft in Philadelphia, when his wire sculptures of animals and human figures caught the eye of world renowned shoe designer Stuart Weitzman. Weitzman, impressed with the sculptures, approached O’Neil and asked him to sculpt wire shoes for their corporate art collection. O’Neil was delighted to take on the challenge. Designing a shoe sculpture for Weitzman added a new dimension to O’Neil's work. Aside from exposing his work to a broader audience, it also inspired him to create a series of shoe sculptures, adding glass beads to the wire structures. O’Neil's shoe sculptures turned many heads as they appeared in art shows and galleries across the Haliburton Highlands and Ontario. When Barb Bolin retired as principal of Fleming College, Haliburton Campus, and the Haliburton School of The Arts in 2007, after 35 years with the College, her friends and coworkers donated to a fund to help buy a sculpture for the Forest in her honour. Bolin was asked to choose which artist would be commissioned to create the sculpture, and it wasn't long before her mind turned to Charles O’Neil and his brilliant shoes. Bolin believed that O’Neil would be a good choice for many reasons. He had already contributed to the Sculpture Forest with his piece Embracing Eos, which has delighted many visitors, so she knew his work would 'fit in' well. O’Neil also lives in the Highlands, and Bolin was interested in commissioning work from a local artist. She loved the fact that O’Neil's shoe sculptures are bright, bold, and colourful, and Bolin wanted to add an extra dash of colour to the Sculpture Forest. O’Neil gladly accepted the commission, and began researching for the project. Deciding to create a shoe of grand proportions, and realizing that the sculpture would have to endure the harsh elements of the Highlands, he crafted his sculpture out of steel rods, stainless steel wiring, and large fire glazed glass beads from the Czech Republic and faceted clear beads from China. Fire and Ice: A Really Big Shoe was installed in the Sculpture Forest in the spring of 2009. < Back to Sculptures

The sculpture Together We Explore the Wild was commissioned in appreciation of the life of Shawn Hagerman. Together We Explore the Wild George Pratt Materials: Salt and pepper granite Description: Two children riding on the back of a bear in a streamlined minimalist style. Installation Date: August, 2016 Number on Map: 27 Go to Gallery About the Sculpture: The sculpture “Together We Explore the Wild” was commissioned in appreciation of the life of Shawn Hagerman, family man, outdoorsman, canoeist, camper, fisherman, hunter, photographer, hiker, meditator, poet, and health and fitness enthusiast. He found peace and joy in exploring the wilderness alongside his family and friends. < Back to Sculptures

Deep in the Haliburton Sculpture Forest lays Sleep of the Huntress by Doug Stephens. Sleep of the Huntress Doug Stephens Materials: Belmont Rose Granite Description: Woman sleeping in stone Location: Haliburton Sculpture Forest; South end of Waterfront Trail Installation Date: August, 2004 Number on Map: 14 Go to Gallery Artist’s Vision for the Sculpture: Walking through the forest is, for me, a time of contemplation: of peace and reflection. I see the viewer coming upon a rock, a ruddy rock, fitting for this place but not of this place. It is rough hewn and gnarled. As they approach it becomes evident that they are not alone; that they have happened upon an elegant sleeping woman, lost in the deep world of dreams. She exists in a spiritual realm: out of time and immaterial. All is quiet except for the sounds of the woods. The viewer is held for a moment in silence: hesitant and reflective in the presence of this woman of nature, calmly nestled on her craggy bed. < Back to Sculptures

Rene Petitjean All Sculptures Catharsis Number on Map 41 Artist Rene Petitjean Material Steel Installation Date June 25, 2025 Learn About the Artist This sculpture was created using forged and bent steel frame and powder coated steel skin. More Photos Previous Next

Meet The Team Board of Directors - Chair Barb Bolin Barb Bolin is the former Principal/Dean of the Haliburton Campus of Fleming College and the Haliburton School of Art + Design and is the founding chair of the Haliburton Sculpture Forest. She has been involved in Community Development through her involvement with many, many organizations including leadership roles at The Arts Council ~ Haliburton Highlands, Abbey Gardens, Haliburton County Development Corporation and Rails End Gallery. Board of Directors - Vice Chair Annette Blady Annette Blady was born in 1956 in Toronto, Canada. She graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design in 1980. During the 1980’s, as a partner in an architectural technology company, she rose to international prominence as an interior designer, creating works for major projects such as The Nieman Marcus Center in Chicago, Harbourfront in Toronto and The World Financial Centre in Battery Park, New York City. Annette retired from design work in 1989 to pursue a full-time career in fine art. Exhibiting internationally, her work can now be found in many prominent galleries and private collections in Canada, the United States, and in Europe. Her broad repertoire ranges from artworks of chromatic exuberance to soft and poignant elegance. Annette’s eclectic style uses textured exotic papers and fabrics, cut glass, and metallic acrylic, as mixed media collage painting, linking motifs from ancient symbolism with those of modern design and abstract expressionism. Annette has been a Board member for over 10 years. Board of Directors - Secretary Jenny Rieger Jenny Rieger has a Master's in Dance History from York University and a Master's of Museum Studies from the University of Toronto. A social historian, she worked with a number of Toronto historic house museums ending up as the Site Co-ordinator of The Grange and the Co-ordinator of the Information Guides at the Art Gallery of Ontario. She has her professional certification in Cultural Sector Leadership and Historic Site Preservation from the University of Victoria. She was the Chair of the National Historic Sites Alliance of Ontario, Chair of the Toronto Preservation Board and on the Executive of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario. "I live close to the Sculpture Forest and am able to walk my dog through it most days. I have three favourite pieces: Curled Figures—Susan Low-Beer; Musical Inspiration—Simon Chidharara, and Sleep of the Huntress—Doug Stephens. It is the massiveness, shape and texture of the works that appeals to me." Jenny has been on the Board since 2017. Board of Directors - Treasurer Scott Walling Scott Michael Walling is a multi-disciplinary artist who moved to the Haliburton Highlands in 2015 to attend Haliburton School of Art + Design. Falling in love with the area, he wanted to become a part of the Highlands community and slowly joined several boards and committees. After purchasing a house in Haliburton, Scott is here to stay, pursuing his career as an artist while staying community focused. Scott has been a Board member since fall of 2019. Board of Directors Scott Childs Scott moved his sculpture studio to Haliburton in 2019 following 35 years making art in Toronto. Originally from Thunder Bay, York University drew him to Toronto in the early 80's to study art, receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1987. Exhibiting both his sculpture and drawings in solo and group shows, his work appeared in a wide variety of venues including commercial dealers, artist run spaces, and regional art galleries. Collaborating with fellow artists, Scott was integral to several early collectives organizing their own exhibitions in industrial spaces in the early 90s and into the next millennium. In addition to private collections, much of Scott’s work consists of large commissions by architects and clients such as The Meeting Place (Toronto), Strachan House (Toronto), The Children’s Museum (Kitchener), plus numerous restaurants. “I feel very fortunate to be living and making work in a community that values the efforts of artists” Board of Directors Rose Pearson Bio coming soon. Communications and Outreach Co-ordinator Lorry Brandon Lorry has been a Friend of the Sculpture Forest since it first started in 2001 and has witnessed its growth over the years. She is a retired school teacher and has always been a strong supporter of the arts community in Haliburton County. She has developed her knowledge of art while travelling and taking courses through HSAD. Lorry loves to share information and stories about the sculptures and artists in the forest! Staff - Curator Jim Blake

One of the first sculptures in the forest was, "A Walk in the Woods in Haliburton" by Mary Ellen Farrow, in limestone & bronze. A Walk in the Woods in Haliburton Mary Ellen Farrow Name of Sculpture: A Walk in the Woods in Haliburton Materials: limestone and bronze Description: Stylized hiker with broad rounded lines, holding a bronze cast of a maple leaf, 1.5 metres high Installation Date: June, 2001 Number on Map: 12 Go to Gallery About the Work: Mary Ellen sculpted “A Walk in the Woods in Haliburton”, at the studio of local sculptor John Beachli. The limestone and bronze piece stands 1.5 meters high and has been mounted on a granite base. The broad rounded lines conform to the natural character of the stone. The hiker, holding a bronze cast of a maple leaf , shows movement and emotion, but demands reaction. The contrast of the limestone to the summer forest creates a pleasant surprise as you approach it, but in winter blends in with a top hat and arm-full of snow. Artist Statement: I work almost exclusively in stone using broad, rounded, rhythmic lines that conform to the natural character of the stones. My goal is to produce work that is tactile, shows movement and emotion, but demands reaction. The work should speak for itself without explanation or title, but be able to be interpreted by individuals in their own way. The challenge of working on large public sculpture is most rewarding. I enjoy the mental contest of finding the idea, relating the idea to the history and environment of the site and then bring the idea to fruition. My recent monumental sculptures have had an intricate bronze detail added to them to give them a distinct flavour and contrast beautifully with the smooth lines of the stones. < Back to Sculptures