Cindy Stelmackowich, coordinator of Cut the Cake, in front of the Enriched Bread Artists building. Brea Elford, Centretown NewsAs a part of Canada’s 150th birthday next year, the Centretown-based collective, Enriched Bread Artists, wants to show the city and the country how to really celebrate — with cake.
The project entitled “Cut the Cake — Celebrate!” will commemorate the bakery heritage of Gladstone Avenue. It was among 14 proposals selected for funding as a part of the Ottawa 2017 Arts, Culture and Heritage Program. In partnership with the AOE (formally known as Arts Ottawa East) Arts Council, the Council of Heritage Organizations in Ottawa and the Ottawa Arts Council, the $250,000 program was launched in February with a call for vibrant “experiences” that highlight Ottawa’s creative sector. The EBA proposal received $22,000.
Each of the 22 members of the collective will create an artistic “cake” to be included in an “immersive” experience. Cindy Stelmackowich, project coordinator for the “Cut the Cake” initiative, said there were already a number of ideas brewing in the studio and that the other artists were keen on the idea since cake is generally perceived as a universal “symbol of celebration.”
EBA’s studio was once home to the Standard Bread Company, a former bread factory, which emerged in 1924 when Canadian wheat was booming in international markets. At the peak of its success, the company was known for having the largest bread loaf of all Ottawa bakeries, named the “Mother Loaf.”
The confectionary, known for making large baked goods, was connected with the baker behind Canada’s four-storey tall birthday cake made in 1967 as a part of the Canada’s 100th birthday, said Stelmackowich.
The public can expect to see creative interpretations of cake produced in a variety of different media — from a textile crochet cake to a glass cake, to one made up entirely of plant matter, somewhat in the style of a Chia Pet.
A pivotal component of the experience, said Stelmackowich, is that once each piece is finalized by next summer, the artists will project their works on the exterior of EBA’s building, near the corner of Gladstone and Loretta Avenue.
“In the building, there used to be a history of making bread and making cake and now, we are making contemporary art,” said Stelmackowich.
Juliana McDonald, an EBA member, believes the building projections will flaunt the the collective’s diverse array of talent to community members.
Stelmackowich says that the Ottawa 2017 Bureau was looking for ideas that reflect community cohesion, and that the EBA experience will inspire residents of surrounding neighbourhoods, such as Little Italy and Chinatown, to continue the tradition.
“We want to reach out to these communities and get them to know us and us to know them.”
Stelmackowich expects to engage area residents in workshops the EBA plans to hold in collaboration with local bakeries.