New plaza graced by art with heart

Tears fill the eyes of an Ojibwa sculptor from Peguis First Nation as he talks about the spiritual journey and deep friendships that came out of creating his first public art piece.

Maamaawi Naanaagadawendamowin, which means Gather Your Heart, was created for the new Kevin Walters Plaza that opened June 26 outside the Burton Cummings Theatre. The piece was commissoned by the Winnipeg Arts Council for the City of Winnipeg Public Art Collection.

Artist Fredrick Spence, along with partners Darren Sakwi and Rob Peristy, who fabricated the metal sculpture, were celebrated for their work Tuesday at the plaza.

“Me, Rob and Darren, we cried together many times during the process of making this. It really took the time, it took all our hearts,” Spence says.

The piece is a drum shaped like a film reel — a nod to the Burt’s history as a movie theatre — with the Seven Grandfather Teachings engraved in it. The film unravels into a cross-legged figure holding up a mallet, which also resembles a bass clef, while the upper body and head of the piece form a treble clef. The musical symbols are apt considering the park’s namesake; the late Kevin Walters was a concert promoter and champion of the local music scene.

The crossed legs twist into an infinity symbol, representing the bond between Métis and First Nations Peoples.

Spence wanted to create a design that represented different pieces of himself, along with things that make the area special to him and other people.

Growing up, Spence would visit the Towne 8 Cinemas adjacent to the plaza for affordable movie nights with his family. Having his artwork beside the now-closed theatre is full circle for Spence and his parents, who watched with tears in their eyes as he shared the story with the crowd.

Spence’s son plays music and inspired the treble and bass clefs; the scultptor also wanted to create something long-lasting his son could eventually show his kids.

The artist says he immediately clicked with Sakwi and Peristy when they first met.

“If it was any other fabricator, I don’t think it would’ve turned out the way it did,” he says.

When Spence first brought forward a small model of the piece, Sakwi and Peristy weren’t sure they could execute it. After thinking on it, they slowly figured out how to make it work, and 500 hours later, they brought Spence’s vision to life.

“It’s time-consuming and it’s painful, but it’s what this piece deserved,” Sakwi says. “It’s not a job at that point, it’s a piece of art and if it’s not to his satisfaction, we’re not satisfied.”

To make the figure, they laminated five pieces of material together and twisted them into shape. He says the hardest part was balancing the needs of the engineer while maintaining Spence’s artistic vision, going through many variations to get it right.

Sakwi and Peristy are the founders of Stainless Concepts, a fabricating business that has worked on several stainless-steel public artworks around the city.

The process of making this sculpture was very spiritual for Sakwi.

“We’ve had many tears at our welding bench. Talking about not just art, but life and the meaning behind life and the importance of family and connection,” he says.

Sakwi is also from Peguis First Nation; he and Spence connected over their shared ties to the community.

He wasn’t in touch with his culture growing up, and working with Spence on this project helped him reconnect with that part of himself.

“You can’t put into words how he opens people up,” Sakwi says.

tiago.resko@freepress.mb.ca