Glass sculpture art depicting parts of a mythical oriental dragon and a blossoming seed pod will hang from Somerset Street lamp posts, spilling coloured light onto passers-by below, the City of Ottawa decided with a public art commission Monday.
Local artists Charlynne Lafontaine and Ryan Lotecki were given the green light by a city art selection committee to create public art for the Somerset Street West reconstruction, the city said in a news release.
They’ll receive $90,000 to craft 16 unique sculptures inspired by the communities of Hintonburg and Chinatown. The art will be installed on street poles in two clusters along the street.
One group of 10 sculptures placed just east of Hintonburg will depict, in step-by-step progress over the railroad-track hopping bridge, the colourful morphing of a seed pod into a flower in bloom. Another six pieces near the year-old Chinatown Royal Arch will resemble the whiskers, manes and scales of a traditional Chinese dragon creature.
The Pyrex glass sculptures will be attached to curved aluminum supports attached to the street poles. The coloured pieces themselves will hang around the fixtures' bulbs, drawing on their light for night-time illumination.
The project is part of a major push by city hall to boost Somerset Street West with fresh trees, sidewalk and road resurfacing and new street furnishings, among other changes. The redesign, including the new sculptures, is expected to be finished by the end of next year.
The art committee drew on public feedback following a public display by artists vying for the Somerset commission last month. The committee factored in artistic excellence, the artists’ track record, integration with the street and sustainability, the city said.