The corner of King Street and Bayshore Drive will soon look quite a bit different.
“Sown,” a new public art installation conceived by local artists Holly Archer and Camille Myles, will be placed in its new home in Midland's downtown core later this summer.
“I want to thank the local artists and fabricators for crafting this piece to pay homage to the unnamed, unsung community members who have been instrumental in building Midland to where it is today,” Mayor Stewart Strathearn said.
The artist team responded to a call for proposals that the Town issued in early 2021. “Sown” was selected based on the town’s public art policy criteria outlined in the request for proposals, and the installation site.
The piece is being fabricated by Lafontaine Iron Werks with Toque Innovations of Midland serving as the technical designer.
The inspiration behind “Sown” is the rich industrial history of Midland, with elements of the design representing the five fingers that built this community (logging, shipping, the railway, agriculture and manufacturing) as well as the five bays from the foundational Indigenous legend of Kitchikewana.
“Developing vibrant public spaces and promoting a beautiful Midland is one of council’s current strategic priorities,” Strathearn said, noting funding for the project comes from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' Rural Development Program.
“This installation will complete the work on King Street, and we thank the program for their grant to assist with this project’s streetscaping, including the commissioning of this new work of art.”
Added CAO David Denault: “The Town of Midland recognizes that art and culture have been and will always be integral parts of ourcommunity.
“We are very proud of our town and our beautiful new main street and are excited to showcase all that we have to offer to both residents and visitors.”
To learn more information about the artwork, click here.
