For Immediate Release: October 28, 2015
The public is invited to join Town of Stratford representatives in the official unveiling of three new interactive art pieces on Sunday, November 1st.
The three pieces were commissioned by the Town of Stratford through a proposal process which included artists, individually or in groups, demonstrate their vision for their art piece keeping with a theme of "nature".
All three pieces have been installed around the trail system at Robert L. Cotton Park, 57 Bunbury Road, and will remain permanent fixtures in the park. "Stratford has recognized the integral value of celebrating, supporting and promoting arts and culture in the Town with this latest project building on previous pieces of art which have been installed throughout Stratford. These most recent installations are intended to see the public, of all ages, interact with the art", comments Mayor David Dunphy.
The public is invited to meet at Cotton Centre, 57 Bunbury Road, at 1:30pm on Sunday, November 1st for an escorted walk to experience each of these pieces followed by an official opening and remarks. Light refreshments will be served following the official opening which proceeds rain or shine.
Art Background:
Raccoon in a Willow Den
Artists Kate Sharpley, Tiffany Baxter and Gweneth Branch Rice have designed and created an art piece with a focal point that is playful and interactive, targeting the younger park user and animal lovers alike. It is constructed from layers of living willow branches rooted into the ground and tied to form a den structure while inside the den will be a life-size model of a raccoon. As the structure of the den is living, it continues to change throughout the year with each season.
The Easel
Terry & Lionel Stevenson were influenced by artist Rene Magritte's surrealist painting entitled "The Human Condition" in creating this piece. It has been constructed from metal into a life size 3D piece that looks like an easel with a frame for a canvas. Where the canvas would normally be, the area remains open creating a view of nature around it. A pot of metal brushes attached further adds to the illusion that it is a landscape painted on the easel. The viewer interacts with this piece by rotating the easel and changing the view.
The Reflective Box
Terry & Lionel Stevenson have also created a box which allows the viewer to look into one of the four sides and see mirrored reflections of the box's natural surroundings. The four sides have tempered glass windows in shapes related to nature which reflects various surrounding objects from nature on the mirrors inside. This piece also rotates for the user to change the view.
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Media Contact: Wendy Watts, Community Engagement Coordinator
Town of Stratford
T: (902) 569-1995 E: [email protected]