Glebe Park Entrance Gate
GLEBE PARKOn the north shore of Head Lake in the village of Haliburton, Glebe Park is 175 acres of woodlands and rolling hills with networks of trails for walking, mountain-biking, cross country-skiing and snowshoeing. It is also a great place to engage with art, culture and heritage. Glebe Park is home to the Haliburton Highlands Museum, Haliburton Sculpture Forest and Fleming College, Haliburton School of The Arts.Glebe Park is owned by the Municipality of Dysart et al and is managed collaboratively by the Glebe Park and Museum Committee, staff and Council. What you can do in Glebe Park?Spring, Summer & Fall*Explore the Walking Trails*Walk your dog (on a leash)*Enjoy a picnic*Play Ball*Tour the Haliburton Sculpture Forest (Entrance by donation haliburtonsculptureforest.ca)*Ride the Mountain Bike Trails (Entrance by Donation – on Facebook Haliburton Mountain Bike Club)*Visit the Historic Farmstead (summer only)*Walk around Head Lake on the Head Lake Trail (trail links downtown of Haliburton Village to Glebe Park – total loop is 5 km) Winter*Ski the Nordic Ski Trails (classic and skating – trail passes available at the trailhead skihaliburton.com)*Trek the Snowshoe Trails (start at the Museum)*Slide down the Toboggan Hill*Ride through the OFSC Snowmobile Trail B103 which passes through the southwest corner of the park on its way to the Village of Haliburton (hcsa.ca)Year Round*Visit the Haliburton Highlands Museum (entrance by donation haliburtonhighlandsmuseum.com)Summer Tuesday to Sunday & Holiday Mondays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Spring & Fall Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Winter Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.*Create at Fleming College, Haliburton School of the Arts (visitors always welcome - see website) Glebe Park has two entrances:297 College Drive, Haliburton, K0M 1S066 Museum Road, Haliburton, K0M 1S0Our thanks to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for their support for recent park improvements.
Homesteaders (#1 on marker)
Artist: Jake MolAbout: The sculpture is a father, mother, child and dog created from old telephone poles, farm implements and other bits and pieces from old farmhouses. Jake thought that there should be a sculpture that connected the historic farmstead to the Sculpture Forest. Jake created a whimsical family that might have built and lived in the buildings across the way.Materials: Wood and old farm implements and hardware.
Pan (#2 on marker)
Artist: George PrattAbout: The goat-god Pan is a mythological Greek god of the wild. He also has a reputation as a bacchanalian. One of his favourite past-times was pursuing beautiful wood nymphs that strayed into the high forests where he lived. His strange, goat-like features frightened the nymphs and they would flee from him. From this we got the term ‘panic’. He was particularly smitten by one nymph whose name was Syrinx, but she did not welcome his attentions. One day, being pursued by Pan, she came to the river. Exhausted, she beseeched the water nymphs to protect her. Before Pan arrived at the river she was transformed into a water reed growing along the river bank. Frustrated, Pan plucked the reeds hoping to find her – but he wasn’t successful. He went back into the forest and fashioned the reeds into the first flute. Since that day, he can be found playing music on the flute hoping that Syrinx will come to him. But he is still sitting there blowing and Syrinx has still not come. Syrinx is the official name for the instrument we know as the pan-flute.Materials: Salt and Pepper Granite.
Spiral Ascent (#26 on marker)
Artist: John Shaw-RimmingtonAbout: The Spiral Ascent is a dry stone cairn with a spiraling grassy walkway, made with locally quarried granite. It was designed by John Shaw-Rimmington and constructed by students of the 2015 Dry Stone Structures Course at Fleming College, Haliburton School of Art + Design.
Gelert (#21 on maker)
Artist: Mary Anne BarkhouseAbout: Gelert is a hamlet in Haliburton County named after the town of Beddgelert in Snowdonia in north of Wales. The name literally translates into the ‘grave of Gelert”. The legend has it that Gelert was the faithful Irish wolfhound of Prince Llywelyn, the last prince of free Wales over 800 years ago.The Legend of Gelert. In the 13th century, Llywelyn, prince of North Wales, had a faithful wolfhound named Gelert that went everywhere with him. One day he went hunting without Gelert, leaving him to guard over his infant son. On Llywelyn's return, the dog ran out to greet his master, but Llywelyn saw that Gelert was stained and smeared with blood. The prince was alarmed and ran into his hunting lodge to look for his son. He found the infant's cot empty, the bedclothes and floor covered with blood. The frantic father plunged his sword into the dog's side thinking that Gelert had killed his son. The dog's dying cry was answered by a child's cry. Llywelyn searched the lodge and found his child unharmed. Nearby lay the body of a large wolf which Gelert had slain. The prince, filled with remorse is said to never have smiled again. He buried Gelert under a cairn of stones. If you go to Beddgelert in Wales you can visit what is claimed to be the grave of Gelert.This story is similar to one found in many cultures of an animal who has been faithful to humans but as soon as something went wrong the animal was suspected of ‘going wild’. There is a story from India with a mongoose and a snake, from Germany with a dog and a bear.With our sculpture of Gelert Mary Anne has re-envisioned the end of the story; renewing our faith in Gelert. He is now standing for eternity guarding over the children who play in Glebe Field.Diana Ferguson donated part of the funds for this sculpture in memory of her husband the late Alan Ferguson, former Dysart councillor who loved art and was devoted to his dogs.Materials: Bronze with patina.
Dreaming Stones (#3 on markers)
Artist: Kevin LockauAbout: A mystical totem made from six granite boulders collected from around the region. Kevin’s challenge was to respond to the natural history of Haliburton County. The wolf at the bottom of the sculpture is thought to be “dreaming our world into existence” and the owl represent our future “ready to take flight”. Also included are a pattern of concentric circles representing time and growth rings, leaves representing regeneration, life and economy, contour lines representing contour ploughing, animal foot and the faces and handprints of pioneers.Materials: Granite Boulders
Fire and Ice: A Really Big Shoe (#20 on marker)
Artist: Charles O’NeilAbout: O’Neil started making sculptures of shoes after he was approached by Stuart Weitzman at the Buyers Market of America in Philadelphia. Weitzman is a renowned shoe designer, and he asked O’Neil to create wire shoes for his corporate art collection. (he commissions a sculpture from a different artist every year).This particular shoe was commissioned by the Sculpture Forest as a gift to Barb Bolin, the principal and dean of The Haliburton School of The Arts for 35 years. “Fire and Ice: A Really Big Shoe” is a much larger version of the one O’Neil created for Weitzman, because of this,” The “Fire and Ice” comes from the way the glass beads glow in sunlight. Materials: Steel rods, stainless steel wiring and large fire glazed beads from the Czech Republic and faceted clear beads from China.
Matriarchy (#36 on marker)
Artist: Tarzan SitholeAbout: An obelisk shaped sculpture of women’s faces and figures, we see multiple generations of women reflected in these figures. 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.Materials: Polished springstone
Evolution (A on marker)
Artist: Metalgenesis: Don Dickson & Amy DoolittleAbout: This is a one of a kind bench carved out of a large granite boulder extended by decorative metal painted red. People who were walking the trails asked for benches to be installed so they could rest and reflect. Instead of placing utilitarian benches throughout the Sculpture Forest the Board of Directors held a competition for one-of-a-kind sculptural benches.It is called “Evolution” because of the evolution from carving things out of stone to shaping things out of metal that comes from stone. At the same time Metalgenesis entered the Sculpture Forest competition they were invited to an international sculpture symposium in Latvia. Somewhere in a park in Latvia is the sister sculpture to our Evolution.Materials: Granite and Steel
A Walk in the Woods in Haliburton (#12 on marker)
Artist: Mary Ellen FarrowAbout: “A Walk in the Woods in Haliburton” is one of the Sculpture Forest’s first installations. It was Mary Ellen’s response to her experiences in Haliburton walking through the forest in the fall. It was sculpted 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 boulder. The hiker is holding a bronze cast of a maple leaf.Materials: Limestone and Bronze.
Embracing Eos (#13 on marker)
Artist: Charles O’NeilAbout: The sculpture depicts a man facing due east, with his arms raised high, greeting the morning sun and reaching to embrace Eos the goddess of the dawn. According to Greek mythology, Eos rose up into the sky from the river Okeanos at the start of each day, and pulled back the curain of dawn so her brother Apollo could drive his chariot – the sun across the sky. As the result of a curse laid upon her by Aphrodite, Eos fell in love with every young man she saw, The story of the man depicted in Embracing Eos is unclear. Does he simply admire the beauty of Eos as she rises each morning? Or is he another young man about to fall victim to her lust?Materials: Wire and Steel.
Head Lake Viewing Deck
Mother Earth (#33 on marker)
Artist: Scott McKayArtist's Statement:"Mother Earth is my vision of the classical mother figure married to the symbol of life inthe tree form.She is about 7 feet tall without the pedestal. -- total height [at] about 102”.Mother Earth was created from 3/16” Corten steel which was developed for longevity inan outdoor environment"This piece was created in March 2018.Materials: Corten steel
Forest Screen Bench (E on marker)
One of three carefully crafted benches by the talented Scott McKay. All pieces were made with the generous donation of Wendy Wilkins.
Fire Bench (F on marker)
One of three carefully crafted benches by the talented Scott McKay. All pieces were made with the generous donation of Wendy Wilkins.
Sun Bench (D on marker)
One of three carefully crafted benches by the talented Scott McKay. All pieces were made with the generous donation of Wendy Wilkins.
Sleep of the Huntress (#14 on marker)
Artist: Doug StephensAbout: “Sleep of the Huntress” protectress of the Sculpture Forest is a woman in repose, lost in the deep world of dreams. The placing of this sculpture was very strategic; Stephens said that he wanted her to have a beautiful view of the forest and lake when she awakes.Materials: Belmont Rose Granite
Together We Explore the Wild (#27 on marker)
Artist: George PrattAbout: “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. George Pratt carved the children riding on the bear as a tribute to Shawn's joy in sharing his love of the outdoors with family and friends.Materials: Salt and pepper granite
Moose Scraps (#10 on marker)
Artist: Leo SepaAbout: “Moose Scraps” is an assemblage of hardware collected from old farmsteads in Haliburton County, formed into the shape of one of Canada’s largest mammals, the moose. Like many of Leo’s sculptures, the 2.5 metre piece exudes wit and charm.Materials: collage of metal objects from farm equipment and other hardware.
Terminus (#11 on marker)
Artist: Marianne ReimAbout: Reim creates discreet objects and her constructions wear their identity through rough cut edges, visible welds and undisguised slabness. This sculpture is a stylized figure in rolled steel, and painted black. The two hands are covering a face (and make note of the thorn ring). A terminus is a place of endings and beginnings. Terminus is also the name of the Roman God of boundary markers. Materials: Steel
DAS BUCH XIII (#34 on marker)
Artist: Marianne Reim About: Since 1994, Marianne Reim has been working on a series of books (DAS BUCH) cut from steel. They currently number 63. The books are personal interpretations of her history within a larger cultural history. These books contain steel pages, which can be turned and read, and they are bound. The antitheses of paperbacks, these books are constructed through a process of cutting, burning, and welding into the sheets of steel. In this manner, Marianne is able to inscribe a universal language through form and line. The content of the books emerges from memories. For example, DAS BUCH 10 was inspired by a visit to the Berlin Wall. DAS BUCH 18 contains a diary-like entry, another one in Latin reflects Marianne’s interest in the universality of language."A steel altar, inviting the public to turn the steel pages. Pages made of links, links that can link the book with the viewer. Hoping to free them into having this experience, a welcome mat that helps to open the channels that would allow for intuition and reference".Materials: Steel and chain mail
Atmo-Sphere (#23 on marker)
Artist: John McKinnonAbout: One of the truly amazing things about Haliburton County is its forests and other quiet places. Inspired by this and the phrase “A Secret Space” John created Atmo-Sphere. It provides a hidden entrance in a large granite sphere for quiet reflection. Within the enclosure is a bench on which you can sit and contemplate the quote from the poet, Rumi, carved on the floor. Don’t forget to look up and enjoy the view through the oculus in the roof top while being embraced by the sounds of nature all around. John spent a month in the summer and fall of 2013 creating this work. The stone is from the McBain Quarrie near Minden.Materials: Granite and Cedar
Musical Inspiration (#25 on marker)
Artist: Simon ChidhararaAbout: Simon has this to say about his sculpture: “The musical instrument in this sculpture has a natural bond and connection to human life. Music entertains and educates us and speaks a universal language. The dolomite lines represent the lyrics accompanying the music from the guitar. The lady is listening to the inspiring lyrics and music and it gives her happiness and peace. Music can do that.”The sculpture comes to the Sculpture Forest courtesy of the ZimArt Rice Lake Gallery which represents over 50 artists from Zimbabwe and thanks to a donation from John and Thea Patterson who have a close connection with Africa.Simon found this particular piece of springstone in a quarry up a mountain side. He and a crew of men careful carried it down the mountain so that the stone face would not be damaged. The shape had immediately spoken to him and he had the image for his sculpture. Simon has been the artist in residence twice over the past 10 years at ZimArt and was present for the installation of the sculpture.Materials: Springstone, dolomite, wax, found metal
Current (B on marker)
Artist: Peter WehrspannAbout: “Current” is a one of a kind bench created out of 10cm oak slats with steel legs. The bench is representative of a river, but is also a reverse ‘S’. The bench was donated in honour of Sabrina Ford, a graduate of the Fleming College Ecotourism program who had continued to work in Haliburton after graduation. She was killed in a car accident. Her friends and family knew how much she loved the Sculpture Forest and wanted to place this bench here in her memory. Materials: Oak and Steel
Flying Debris (#28 on marker)
Artist: Leo SepaFound objects are at the heart of this sculpture, aptly titled "Flying Debris", an assemblage of pieces, farm equipment, and other hardware, formed into the shape of one of one of the most fascinating local birds, the blue heron. Like many of Leo’s sculptures, the piece exudes wit and charm. The title uses wordplay which adds to the whimsical charm of the piece.Materials: A collage of metal objects from retired farm equipment and other hardware.
Visionary (#7 on marker)
Artist: Richard ShanksAbout: The sculpture “Visionary” commemorates the life of Sir Sandford Fleming and his contributions to Canada and the world. This sculpture includes the elements of a surveyor’s transit, the compass, time, significant dates in Fleming’s life and the globe.Sir Sandford Fleming was closely involved with the creation of the railway across Canada (he is in the famous photo of the ‘Last Spike’) but he is best known as the founder of the concept of standard time and the division of the world into 24 time zones.Materials: Bronze and steel
Beaver (#6 on marker)
Artist: Haliburton Highlands Secondary School 2002 Students with support from Mary Anne Barkhouse and Michael BelmoreAbout: In the winter of 2002, the Haliburton Sculpture Forest contracted with Mary Anne Barkhouse and Michael Belmore to be artists-in-residence in the Haliburton Highlands Secondary School, and to work with senior art students. Michael and Mary Anne worked with the students in the winter and spring, teaching the process of creating public sculpture- from concept to drawings to models to creating the sculpture out of clay to making a plaster cast to casting the sculpture in concrete to installation. The lamp post was donated by the Municipality of Minden Hills who were replacing their lamp posts on the main street of Minden.Materials: Concrete and Aluminum Lamp Post.
I see a wish (#37 on marker)
Artist: Created by students of the Integrated Arts Program at Innisdale Secondary School in Barrie, OntarioAbout: In 2015, the students in the Innisdale Integrated Arts Program produced a multi-media arts presentation (poetry, music, dance, paintings and sculpture) for the new Cancer Treatment Centre at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie. One piece was a sculpture of a dandelion gone to seed with one of the parachutes (wishes) about to take flight. A teacher in Collingwood, Deb Shackell, who was familiar with Haliburton Sculpture Forest was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and went to RVH for treatments and saw the sculpture. The dandelion and the saying “Some see a weed; I see a wish” has long been her personal coda – and seeing this sculpture gave her great hope and inspiration. She got in contact with the Sculpture Forest curator and said that she would like to raise the money to get a similar sculpture for the Sculpture Forest. The program coordinators at Innisdale said that they would be interested in having the class of 2019-2020 create a new sculpture for the Sculpture Forest (using the ideas and inspirations of the current students). Deb and the Sculpture Forest curator met with the students a couple of times; there was lots of back and forth on the design. Meanwhile, after a year of treatment, Deb was cancer free and she mounted a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe as well as produced and sold art cards with inspirational photography. The Sculpture was going to be installed in the spring of 2020 but COVID-19 got in the way. All the pieces of the sculpture had been created – it just needed to be brought to Haliburton and installed. The four teachers from Innisdale arranged to bring the pieces of the sculpture to Haliburton in November 2020 where it was assembled and installed.Materials: Powder coated steel
To Cut or Not To Cut (#15 on marker)
Artist: John BeachliAbout: Haliburton County has a long history of men working in the forest, in logging camps or cutting timber on their own land. The county also has a history of sons learning skills from their fathers as they helped them with their work. This sculpture tells a story of a man and his son having a conversation over the stump of a tree that has just been felled. “To Cut or Not to Cut” is about the conversations that occur when a son is working with his father.Materials: Local gneiss recovered from rock blasted from the Pre-Cambrian shield at a nearby building site.
Passage (#38 on marker)
Artist: Gord PeteranMy artwork is fuelled by the historical decorative arts.Unlike most artists I’m not looking for “new”, but rather the very, very old.I’m interested in testing the boundaries of what we know and trust.Disrupting the iconography of culture slightly, either by altering their context or proximity, can destabilize assumptions and suggest ideas that seem both correct and wrong in the same moment.Doorways are thresholds of our buildings, and also represent the threshold of our anxieties.Two doorway openings placed apart to imply a room, stand as both sentinels and facilitators of flow and passage.A dining table, . . . with oars, placed between these frames suggests both the safe space of home and references to this rural location.A table implies gathering, and in many ways represents the core of the family.Are there directional implications to a dining table?Is it in any way mobile?Who propels the ideas discussed at dinner?Can they stagnate or change course?The emblems and events of summer at a lake cannot be underestimated.They become imbedded in our psyche for life.Perhaps because they are filled with moments of joy, of discovery, learning, curiosity and camaraderie, . . . (the conditions necessary for creativity).The new conditions our world now faces provide potential opportunities.This artwork’s references are vast, from global warming and migratory populations, to the intimate summer ponderings of a child.The swinging doors once hanging from the doorframes have long since disappeared with only vague remnants of each left visible.Visitors can freely pass into, through, and out of this scene, setting in motion their own transformative art moment.
C to C (#16 on marker)
Artist: John Shaw-RimmingtonAbout: Almost 25 tons of stone purchased from the Attia Quarries in Minden were used for the hands-on, week-long Dry Stone Structures course given May 2007 at Haliburton School of Art + Design. ‘C to C’ is a free standing dry stone sculpture. The idea is based on taking a typical dry laid sheepfold and then slicing it down the middle and shifting one side several feet along the line of bi-section. The sculpture is called ‘C to C’ not only because it is made of two ‘C’ shapes, it alludes to the different parts of North America that people came from to build the structure, and also the growing interest there is in traditional dry stone construction all over Canada and the States, from sea to sea.Materials: Locally quarried granite
Curled Figures (#8 on marker)
Artist: Susan Low-BeerAbout: The two figures were made from the same mold; Although the figures are essentially the same, their positioning portrays different emotions and a dynamic relionship. Materials: Concrete.
Spirit of the Wild (C on marker)
Artist: Aaron GalbraithAbout: Carole Finn, local artist and community champion, donated the dry stone bench in memory of her late husband Don Finn, who died in 2008. Don loved to walk in the woods and in the Sculpture Forest. Measuring 7 feet by 3 feet, the granite top on the bench weighs 1,400 pounds, with the many smaller rocks weighing 4,500 pounds. In the centre of the bench there is a mossy stone collected from the Finn’s farm. This style of dry stone structure is a more decorative form (compared to C to C). Aaron split the stones by hand to create the even and aesthetically pleasing surface.Materials: Locally quarried granite.
Harmony (#29 on marker)
Artist: Jiří GenzerAbout:Jiri developed the idea for “Harmony” a number of years ago to express the concept of a harmonic relationship - supporting, helping and finding joy together. “Harmony” is a continuation of a previous work called “Balance” which portrays keeping all extremes in good balance. To Jiri, who hails from Europe, Canada has always been a symbol of freedom, tolerance and harmonic relationships. That is why he chose the Harmony motif for the Sculpture Symposium “Carved on the Canadian Shield”. It represents his vision of Canada and his hopes for a positive future for our country, the Sculpture Forest and the Haliburton School of Art + Design.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.
Voyage (#30 on marker)
Artist: Mary Ellen FarrowAbout: This sculpture was created as part of the 2017 sculpture symposium in celebration of Canada 150, Ontario 150, and Dysart 150. The theme of the symposium, “Carved on the Canadian Shield” inspired Mary Ellen to create a canoe. The canoe is a fundamental part of our heritage, created by the indigenous people, used by the early settlers as transportation, exploration, trade, and commerce. Today, the canoe is still a part of the local community, for sport and recreation, and is an integral part of the tourism trade. It is a bit of an enigma, seeing a canoe in the forest, but that is part of the fun of the piece. Mary Ellen wanted the sculpture to be interactive, for children to be able to climb over it and play games in it. She wanted to create a piece that people of all ages can enjoy.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.
Wind Dervish (#32 on marker)
Artist: John McKinnonAbout: This sculpture was created as part of the 2017 sculpture symposium in celebration of Canada 150, Ontario 150, and Dysart 150. The theme of the symposium was “Carved on the Canadian Shield.” For John McKinnon, trips across the Canadian Shield conjure up images of stone, wind, and timelessness. Over eons, the stone that never seem to change or move is picked up layer by microscopic layer and carried off by the wind. The wind itself, an invisible force that manifests its presence in the things that it moves and shapes, is an expression of time. This piece thinks outside of time. Thousands of years have been compressed into a moment, and the layer of stone has risen up and is dancing like a Dervish in the wind.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.
Storied Moons (#31 on marker)
Artist: Carole TurnerAbout:“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.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.
Redwing Frond (#9 on marker)
Artist: Darlene BolahoodAbout: The sculpture’s axis, from base to tip, is perfectly aligned, pointing to the true north. The sun’s rays, at this latitude, find the lenses of the coloured panels, casting shadows that change with the skies. The streaks of the pigment opaque on the transparent surfaces along the overlapping edges of the panels create kaleidoscopic forms within these shapes. The leaf symbolizes growth. The sculpture was built with help from local artist blacksmith, Leo Sepa.Materials: Steel and Acrylic panels.
Sound Vessel: Forest (#5 on marker)
Artist: Metalgenesis: Don Dickson & Amy DoolittleAbout: Synonymous with the perception of “up North” is the image of trees. They are so numerous that one takes them for granted. Solid yet pliant, they are part of our horizons and landscapes. Like a tree that is still, yet filled with life, the vessel holds sound and, like a tree, is animated and given voice by the wind. Dickson and Doolittle wanted people to pay attention to the sounds of the forest rather than just its visual beauty. Although designed as a sound sculpture it seldom gets enough wind in its location to make the musical rods in the interior of sculpture chime. You can make the chimes sound with your hand.Materials: Corten Steel Plate, and stainless steel rods.
Guardians of the Forest (#4 on marker)
Artist: Brett DavisAbout: The “Guardians” are a combination of humans and nature. Together they form an alliance that reminds us to harmonize with nature to help keep our eco-system balanced and our environment clean and free from an intervention that may harm of destroy the future of our forests. The two figures at the top of the sculpture represent the passing on of knowledge from one generation to the nextMaterials: Bronze.
A Conspiracy of Ravens (#22 on marker)
Artist: John McKinnonAbout: This piece was brought about by a donation from Noreen Blake. Noreen and her husband Bob spent summers in the Haliburton Highlands for over 60 years. They watched the growth of the Haliburton School of The Arts and both took a wide range of courses throughout the years. Although Noreen would not call herself an artist, she created beautiful work in a wide variety of media throughout her life. Noreen always took an interest in the art scene in the Highlands and for a number of years served as a tour guide for the Sculpture Forest. Inspired by the donations of sculptures by individuals such as Janis Parker and Diana Ferguson, she decided it was her turn. She proposed a sculpture competition with the theme “Avian Fauna” (birds of the region). Fifty-five artists from five provinces and two states submitted 60 proposals. A jury whittled that number down to seven and Noreen made the final selection.The jury and Noreen loved the movement of the swooping birds of John’s proposed sculpture and the unique character of each raven. The title “A Conspiracy or Ravens” inspires the question “What are they up to?”. The heads of the ravens are cast in bronze, the bodies, laser cut rolled steel. The sculpture is reinforced with a truck spring. John built the sculpture in Nelson, BC and drove it across the country on top of his Jeep.Materials: Bronze and Steel
Kennisis: Horse and Rider (#19 on marker)
Artist: William LishmanAbout: Kennisis Horse and Rider was originally part of a larger sculpture called “Transcending the Traffic” created for Expo ’86 in Vancouver which focused on Transportation and Communication. William Lishman won a commission to create a large sculpture for the Land Transportation plaza. He made an 86 foot tall spire with all kinds of transportation through time spiraling upwards – starting with a monster truck at the bottom and a single person on foot at the top. Expos don’t purchase sculptures, they lease them; so Lishman was able to take all of the structures home to his farm near Port Perry.This piece represents a First Nations rider from the Canadian plains with his horse –If you look closely at the sculpture you can see a human skull inside the horses head - representing the incredible bond of mind and muscle between horse and rider.This sculpture was purchased by Janis Parker and donated to the Haliburton Sculpture Forest. Since it was part of a larger piece the horse and rider did not have a name.Janis chose the name of the sculpture from the name of the lake that she lives on and after a racehorse owned by Gary Vasey and Don Finn, to honour the Vasey and Finn families who have both contributed a lot to the area. The sculpture is made from pieces of metal left over from the manufacture of car parts.Materials: Milled Steel,
Together We Achieve the Extraordinary (#35 on marker)
Artist: Tizirai Gumbere About: A contrasting handshake – one hand and arm dark polished stone and the other hand and arm is pale and unpolished.Tizirai, known by his colleagues as “Gwama”, started sculpting in 1992 and was unwavering in his pursuit for excellence. During his lifetime, Tizirai’s work had an unmistakable trademark of contrasted handshakes. The handshake sculptures were the expression of his need to see inter-racial unity, he shared Martin Luther’s dream of seeing a world where people are not judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. Materials: Common Opal
Shadow Caster (#18 on marker)
Artist: Ian LaBlanceAbout: Shadow Caster is a skeletal articulated structure crafted out of steel. It is based on Lablance’s study of insects and fossils. Moving metal rods were used purposefully so that the viewer can look through it and constantly enjoy the ever-changing shadows.Materials: Steel Rods
Unity Gate (#24 on marker)
Artist: John Shaw-RimmingtonAbout: The Unity Gate is an archway and curling dry stone walls, made with locally quarried granite. It was designed by John Shaw-Rimmington and constructed by students of the 2013 Dry Stone Structures Course at Fleming College, Haliburton School of Art + Design. There is no mortar used in the entire structure and the piece relies solely on friction and gravity, and most importantly the keystone, which is the large stone at the very top of the arch.Materials: Locally quarried granite
Lissome #5 (#17 on marker)
Artist: Andrew RothfischerAbout: Lissome #5 is shows the curvilinear form that is often repeated in nature: - grass blowing in the wind and the line of the spine in the human body. Lissome #5 is part of Andy’s Lissome series of sculptures. He uses polished concrete to make the curved shape and kiln formed glass or recycled float glass to accent the curves. Lissome #5 uses kilm formed glass. In the morning, the light coming through the glass makes the sculpture look like it is in flames as you approach the College. In the afternoon, as people leave the building the same effect occurs with the sunset. The light filters differently through the glass throughout the day as well as throughout the seasons. Lissome #5 is on long-term loan from the artist. The work is available for sale for a price of $2000.Materials: Cement and Kiln formed (recycled) glass
