When people first enter the new main entrance to the Marina Park, artist Steven Beites says he hopes they will be fascinated with what he has created.
The artist from Sudbury spent four months with his partner Christian Joackim on an art piece for Thunder Bay.
All that hard work paid off when they were able to place their 13-panel art exhibit called Embedded History near the main entrance of the Marina Park.
Beites covered wood panels with concrete and gave them a distinct wave like pattern that represents two different water conditions – one rapid the other calm.
He said he chose the wood to represent the history of the city. He said he used cedar and a pine to get the effect he wanted.
“What we wanted to do was somehow represent the rich history of Thunder Bay,” Beites said.
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“I hope they are fascinated by the form because not often do you see an application of concrete that has a curve like shape to it. It was really important for us to embed this grain because it was representative of the history of the French voyageurs and the Aboriginal people.
“There was a lot of emphasis on that and I think it turned out really well. You can see some of the cedar and the pine knots that are located in the actual concrete itself.”
Reana Mussato, the city’s public art co-ordinator, said the artwork was selected through a competition open to local and national artists.
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She said there will be a total of eight public art projects that will go up around the marina.
“Public art has been a part of the waterfront since day one of the planning stages,” Mussato said.
“It’s really important to have public art because the waterfront is a special place. It’s a cherished place and I think art celebrates that.”
