Commemorations and Public Art

Commemorations

National commemorations celebrate the people, events, ideals or accomplishments that have meaning and value for a nation. As part of our mission to build pride and unity among Canadians, we work to develop the Capital Region as a place that celebrates Canada through its commemorations.

The NCC encourages Canadians to play an active role in creating the Capital as a reflection of Canada. We invite individuals and groups to sponsor commemorations of Canadian ideas, people and events of national symbolic importance, and we support them in this process. You are welcome to propose a commemoration, but first review the commemoration policy, which outlines everything you will need to know.

Some of the more recent national commemorations include the following:

• The Valiants Memorial
• Never Give Up! (Maurice Richard)
• Reflection: Monument to Canadian Aid Workers

Public Art

The public art collection in Canada’s Capital Region extends beyond commemorations. Other artworks, sculptures, murals and fountains enrich the core area’s parks, plazas and courtyards. Artworks showcase Canadian artistic achievements from across the country and celebrate our diverse identity.

Have you ever seen a dancing bear or a giant spider? These are two of the numerous outdoor public art pieces that you will discover in the Street SmART brochure — a free walking tour guide to outdoor art in Canada’s Capital Region. This guide will help you find out what Canadian and international artists have created, and let you see the mark they have made in the region.

To obtain a copy, please contact us or download the pdf file below.

• Street SmART - A Guide to Art on the Streets of Canada's Capital Region (pdf – 2.4 Mb)

This bronze sculpture, which is located in the Jeanne d’Arc Court, is the first public art by an artist from Nunavut to be placed in Ottawa. Saila grew up on Baffin Island and began carving in the 1950s to supplement his livelihood as a hunter. He is widely known for his powerful, somewhat abstract dancing bears — though he has claimed that they are not dancing, but playing the way he has observed them on the icefield while hunting.

Standing over 9 metres (30 feet) tall on her eight cast bronze legs, Maman is the keeper of 26 white Italian marble eggs, which she carries under her belly. The sculpture is inspired by the artist’s own mother — a woman of patience, subtlety and intelligence — a tapestry restorer who worked with threads. Installed in 2005 on the front plaza of the National Gallery of Canada, Maman evokes a sense of security, but also entrapment, leading the viewer to question whether she is protector or predator.

This bronze casting — the largest Haida art piece cast in bronze — is the second and last cast made from its mould. The first was installed at Teleglobe Canada’s International Centre in British Columbia, and Teleglobe Canada donated the duplicate to the Canadian Museum of Civilization in 1987. The sculpture represents the mythology of Reid’s Haida ancestry from a concept of communications between men and mythic creatures. Another, more famous sculpture by Bill Reid is located in the Grand Hall of the Canadian Museum of Civilization: the original plaster pattern used to cast the bronze sculpture of The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, which is featured on the back of the $20 bill.

In the early 20th century, tinsmith Honoré Foisy advertised his trade by decorating the outside of his Lowertown Ottawa house, which stood a few blocks from here. When the house was demolished in 1961, the facade was saved and later reproduced by artist Art Price, using original and fabricated parts. The facade was installed here in 1973, and has become the artistic focal point of the courtyard, which was named after this artwork. In 2003, the popular and unique piece was further restored, after exposure to the elements had caused serious deterioration.

Related Link

• Mandate and Mission