The proposed art installation for the intersection of Gladstone Avenue and Preston Street.
As the Preston Street revitalization project moves forward, the Preston Street BIA is planning a $500,000 abstract artwork arrangement at the intersection of Preston Street and Gladstone Avenue.
“We are now in phase three of the design,” says Mario Giannetti, owner of Preston Hardware and chair of the Preston Street BIA. Although the design is still a concept, Giannetti says there are going to be several statues portraying a sports team.
“Your vision is something, but my vision can be something else,” Giannetti adds.
“That’s the thing with abstract art. Some people might see it as a soccer team, while others associate it with a football team.”
According to Giannetti, the BIA had several concepts.
“Once we outlined them all, this design made the most important statement," he says.
"It is unique – there is nothing like it in Ottawa.”
Lori Mellor, executive director of the BIA is excited about the project of concrete, metal and stained glass.
“We fell in love with the designer we were already working with during other steps of the Preston Street beautification project. Chantal Gaudet, who is the designer, really understood what we are trying to do in this neighborhood,” Mellor says.
Gaudet went searching around the city and came up with ‘Bambino.’
“We already have the spider sculpture Maman outside the National Gallery of Canada, so Bambino, meaning babies in Italian, seemed like a great idea,” Mellor says.
According to Mellor, Gaudet started to think about what Italian children love.
“Italian children love soccer. Like all our immigrants from Europe and Latin America. It is going to be a cultural statement for our immigrants,” explains Mellor.