A more sheltered new location has been found for Red Deer’s brick bunny statue.
Once the damaged piece of public art is removed from its current spot on 48th Street, and repaired by artists at Voyageur Art Inc., the larger-than-life brick bunny will be moved to the city’s north side and reinstalled at the G.H. Dawe Community Centre.
The City of Red Deer’s recreation department suggested an empty nook, near the newly created north entrance of the renovated G.H. Dawe Community Centre, would be a suitable new home for the statue.
This location “is highly visible with increased foot traffic from the current location on Alexander Way,” stated a report to the city’s Public Art Commission. “The more public location will allow an increase of citizens to enjoy the artwork and ideally be a deterring factor for vandalism.”
Another favourable factor cited was that the building’s overhang, with overhead lighting, will protect the two-metre-tall brick rabbit from the elements.
Commission members voted in favour of the move this week, feeling the recreation centre was a suitable fit for the relocation of a playful piece of public art.
Brian McArthur and Dawn Detarando of Voyager Art Inc. also approved of the new site. The artists previously stated the rabbit statue would be fixed over the winter and likely re-installed next spring.
The brick sculpture, which now sits near the corner of 49th Avenue, was damaged by an unknown person earlier this year. After some discussion and a pricing quote from the artists, the commission voted last month to have the statue repaired.
Also to be repaired and relocated is a damaged, decoratively tiled bench, now in front of Original Joe’s restaurant. It will be move to the Ross Street Patio, where it will also be more protected by a building overhang.
Meanwhile, the City of Red Deer is putting out calls for artists to submit ideas for public art around the Taylor Bridge foundations, as well as for inside City Hall. A tiled feature wall at the back of the elevators can accommodate a large-scale two-dimensional or low relief three-dimensional artwork on the theme of place and relationships.
For more information, please visit reddeer.ca.
