Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) has announce the launch of a national public art competition to build a monument to the many thousands of Canadian tradespeople who have literally built this country.
The “Canadian Building Trades Monument” will be located in Major’s Hill Park, Ottawa, ON. The site offers striking views of the Rideau Canal, Parliament Hill, the Ottawa River, and the National Gallery of Canada. It is a location steeped in Canada’s built history, and witness to the craftsmanship and dedication of generations of tradesmen and tradeswomen.
The competition to design, fabricate, and install the monument, which has a minimum $660,000 commission budget, is open to Canadian artists and design teams. The first phase of the competition will determine qualifications, which will result in a shortlist of a minimum of three finalist teams. The second phase will involve the development of proposals, for which there will be an honorarium, after which a winning proposal will be selected.
The deadline for responding to the first phase, Request for Qualifications, is June 18, 2015, 5:00pm. For more information and to download the RFQ, please visit http://canadianbuildingtradesmonument.ca
The Canadian Building Trades Monument will celebrate the valuable contributions of tradespeople to Canadian life, prosperity and history, including recognition of the participation of women, First Nations and new immigrants in the building of Canada. The monument will be a place to celebrate the great achievements of skilled stonemasons, welders, carpenters, ironworkers, and many other construction workers, yet one that also commemorates the losses they have endured in carrying out their work.
“Just like building a building, the creation of public art as a monument is a fusion between the creative, the conceptual, and the pragmatic…” says Bob Blakely, COO of Canada’s Building Trades Unions, in a short video describing the project. “Canadian artists - we want you to give us your best shot, and we promise to build what you dream, as well as anyone, anywhere, anytime.”
The Canadian Building Trades Monument is being developed by CBTU in partnership with their fair employers, the National Capital Commission and the Department of Canadian Heritage.
The monument unveiling is anticipated for May 2017, and will be part of Canada’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
