A local artist is teaming up with the City of Ottawa and Carleton University to create a sculpture out of an estimated 200-year-old tree that was chopped down on Aug. 17.
Artist David Fels said that whenever he looks at the piece of the tree –or his canvas — he gets nervous.
“Working with any tree is an honour,” said Fels. “When the tree is 200 to 300 years old, it’s an exceptional honour.”
The tree is also known as the Brighton Beach Oak, formerly located in Old Ottawa South’s Brighton Beach. A large piece of the tree was provided to Carleton University after the city’s forestry services deemed it necessary to cut the tree down because it was dead.
Fels’s concept, titled Sailing Through Time, will depict Carleton’s commitment to accessibility, said Fels.
According to Fels, other parts of the tree not given to Carleton, including the branches, may be used for other artistic projects in Ottawa.
“(The sculpture) is basically about how we face our challenges when we go through life,” he said.
As far as the design goes, Fels remains tight-lipped over what he envisions the finished product will look like.
David Fels explains his concept
Because the tree has experienced a significant amount of rotting, Fels said that while his idea is clear, he may come across something while sculpting that could change the concept dramatically.
When finished, the sculpture will also serve to mark the beginning of Carleton’s campaign to launch the READ Institute (Research, Education, Accessibility and Design).
The purpose of the READ Institute, according to one of Carleton’s disabilities co-ordinators, Dean Mellway, is to work with experts in the community to find solutions to accessibility problems at the university.
Fels said the sculpture will be completed on Oct. 27, which will coincide with a special presentation at Carleton University to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Rick Hansen’s Man in Motion World Tour.
Residents can catch a glimpse of Fels in action, as the artist will be sculpting on Carleton’s campus in a covered area outside the architecture building.
Mellway said knowing the quality of Fels work, the university is excited about the finished product. The sculpture will remain on Carleton’s property in a location that has yet to be finalized.
“The really nice part is he’s going to be standing here working on it for two months, right in front of us all,” said Mellway.