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The Nest, Donald Lipski, 2018
SERVICES PROVIDED: Design coordination, Materials research, Budget management, Engineering coordination and oversight, Fabricator bid process, Fabrication oversight, Lighting design development, Shipping, Installation services, Scheduling, Project close-out.
For Calgary’s spectacular new 330,000 sq. ft. Brookfield Residential YMCA at Seton, artist Donald Lipski designed a site-specific installation comprised of a nine-foot diameter acrylic “nest” with three flocks of life-sized hawks, owls, and herons flying to it, each bringing a new branch for the nest. 30 fiberglass birds in total are suspended along the three main hallways that meet at the central hub where the nest is located. The birds represent 3 species that are familiar to the Seton community: Swainson’s Hawk, Great Blue Heron, and the Great Horned Owl. The hawk’s wingspan is about 4.5'; the heron’s is about 6'; and the owl is about 5'. The birds were brilliantly sculpted and hand-painted by Christopher Collins in Pennsylvania. Collins sculpted the birds in modular parts so molds could be created for each body part allowing the birds to be assembled in different postures and aspects of flight.
In February 2015 Lipski asked the community for their input via an online survey, inviting the community to be involved in the selection of the bird species represented in the final work. Lipski was inspired by the site as a place of nurture, growth, meeting, and discovery. 'The Nest' is a symbol of community, in Lipski’s words, “I believe this artwork reflects the vision of connectivity for the regional facilities for all ages and abilities. 'The Nest', in a beautiful and poetic way, will reflect The City’s values of inclusion, equitability, and accessibility, diversity, adaptability and responsiveness, innovation, community vitality, and stewardship. It celebrates who you are and your role in the community.”
Check out the embedded videos below for a behind-the-scenes peek at the installation of this work as well as a fly-through of the Seton Recreation Facility.
Select text and images courtesy of Donald Lipski. Process images courtesy of Christopher Collins. Promotional fly-through video courtesy of YMCA Calgary.
