A $2.5-million sculpture for Calgary’s BMO Centre
Gerry Judah, “Spirit of Water,” (rendering courtesy of Calgary Municipal Land Corporation)
A $2.25-million steel sculpture by British artist Gerry Judah is coming to the grounds of Calgary’s BMO Centre.
The 50,800-kilogram abstract sculpture, Spirit of Water, will stand 21 metres high, the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation and the Calgary Stampede have announced.
The BMO Centre in Stampede Park is undergoing a major expansion, and is slated to open in time for Stampede in 2024. This installation will be a focal point of the BMO Centre's outdoor plaza, set to be twice the size of Calgary's Olympic Plaza.
Kate Thompson, president and CEO of the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, said there were more than 200 artist proposals; the winner was selected by a volunteer jury.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek welcomed the sculpture announcement. "I think pieces like this are finally starting to demonstrate that if you want to be a city that people feel welcomed in, that people want to visit, that people are proud to live in, it requires the beauty of public art," she told CBC.
Source: Calgary Municipal Land Corporation and CBC
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