The May She Soar metal sculpture is located at Fulton Park near Kamloops International Airport.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Facebook/ Kamloops Airport
October 04, 2024 - 6:00 AM
Metal artists in Kamloops and the Okanagan have contributed captivating sculptures to their city landscapes, adding to the culture of downtown streets, university campuses and city parks.
It takes creativity and technical skills to transform rigid metal into flowing works of art that inspire emotions or tell a story, and the following outdoor installations explore themes that include memoir, history and the natural world.
A stunning metal sculpture near Kamloops International Airport was revealed this year. The piece called May She Soar is a tribute to fallen Royal Canadian Airforce Captain Jennifer Casey who died when her Snowbird jet crashed in Kamloops on May 17, 2020, during a mission to salute those who were doing their part to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
A metal sculpture in Kamloops honouring fallen jet pilot Jennifer Casey is seen under construction in April.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Peter Olsen
The monument is a rendition of a CT-114 Tutor aircraft created by local artist Sarah Holliday with metal maple leaves and branches.
“The maple leaves are meant to be a mosaic of our collective grief at the loss of Jennifer Casey, while the branches represent Canadians joining together to lift of the memory of a hero,” Holliday said in a City of Kamloops media release.
Three supporting pillars symbolize the communities that rallied around the tragedy, Casey’s hometown of Halifax, and the Canadian Armed Forces.
“The shape and sideways lean of the plane resemble a Snowbird high in the sky performing aeronautical maneuvers, which is meant to celebrate the relationship and history between the Kamloops Airport and the Royal Canadian Air Force,” Holliday said.
This stainless steel sculpture is located at Eden Park Lakehouse private luxury retreat on Lower Bench Road in Penticton.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Facebook/ INature
In Penticton, the world’s largest stainless-steel T-Rex looks fierce and foreboding from its perch at Eden Park Lakehouse private luxury retreat on Lower Bench Road.
Erected last year, the 50-foot structure called Alice took Chilliwack artist Kevin Stone two years and hundreds of hours to complete in several sections.
The beast was born out of the artist’s fascination with monsters, and is so massive it can be seen from various parts of the city including the Kettle Valley Trail.
Travellers from all over the country have stopped to take photos of the art piece.
Two segments of the T-Rex sculpture are seen suspended in Kevin Stone's shop in this undated photo.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Kevin Stone
A metal wolf installation by Armstrong-based metal artist Braden Kiefiuk can be found on the campus of Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops.
Installed in 2020 to celebrate the school’s 50th anniversary, the fur on the three wolves is made with hundreds of pieces of hand-cut steel.
This photograph of a metal sculpture located on University Drive at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops was taken in 2021.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Okke J Dooder
The installation on University Drive overlooking the city is called Mélemst?ye, meaning wolf in Secwepemc. In Secwepemc oral history, the wolf teaches people to hunt and the important qualities a hunter needs to be successful.
The installation is part of an effort for the school to include public works of art across campus by local artists that teach us about local culture and history, according to the TRU website.
This metal sculpture called Mélemst?ye is located on University Drive at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Thompson Rivers University
Internationally acclaimed Kelowna artist Geert Maas’ bronze and stainless steel works can be seen around the city of Kelowna and at his Geert Maas Sculpture Gardens and Gallery.
READ MORE: iN VIDEO: Okanagan woman turns passion for parrots into educational business
The artist’s favourite mediums are bronze and stainless steel link, and dating back to 1997, his notable stainless steel sculpture called Circle of Friends is located across from the entrance to Kasugai Gardens on the east side of City Hall.
The piece was created in memory of Yukihisa Tanaka who worked to construct the Kasugai Gardens and speaks to the close relationship between the City of Kelowna and its Japanese sister-city of Kasugai, Japan.
If you have a favourite metal sculpture in your community, let us know at news@infonews.ca.
Circle of Friendship is stainless steel sculpture located on the east side of Kelowna City Hall.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Facebook/ Zaphyra Theidea
To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Ainslie or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.
News from © iNFOnews, 2024