Brighouse Sky Train Station moved a step closer to being adorned with public art, as the general purposes committee endorsed two concept proposals for the plinth at the end of the tracks.
The artworks were approved with little discussion Monday night, according to the city's public art planner Eric Fiss and will go before council next Monday.
"I was quite excited when I saw them," said Fiss. "They really work in the context and make you think about the surrounding environment. "The committee wanted something site-specific, that would be fun and engaging, and would speak to the context of the Canada Line and Richmond in some way."
Pieces of painted driftwood intricately intertwine to resemble a beaver's dam for SkyDam, a work by Nathan Lee, Sarah Siegel, Erika Mashig and Aline Meylan.
Bright red beavers, constructed using rigid foam, inhabit the dam, which symbolizes the industriousness of Richmondites.
It speaks to the amphibious nature of Richmond's history, as a city based on the fishing and agriculture industries, according to the artists.
"Whenever I look at the Canada Line, I see it as an incredible engineering feat," said Fiss. "It almost reminds me of a viaduct in ancient Rome, so it's cool that there'll be a dam at the end of it."
Artist Carlyn Randle's work consists of a cluster of brightly coloured recyclable aluminum tubes, emerging out of the end of the train tracks.
Inspired by fibre optics, Roost provides an active experience for a viewer, where approaching the sculpture head-on is different from approaching it from the side, according to Randle.
"They're both playful pieces that will get people talking," said Fiss.
Before endorsing, the committee raised questions about how they would gauge the public response for the pieces.
Coun. Evelina Halsey-Brandt suggested a like/dislike button near the station, to which city staff said there would be signs around the piece to indicate how residents can provide feedback. Coun. Chak Au, on the other hand, was concerned about too much feedback from birds who might confuse SkyDam as a nest or fly inside Roost's tubes. Fiss said perhaps the birds' interaction would only prove a greater engagement between art and nature.
The two proposals were chosen out of 77 submissions. Funding for the project is $80,000 ($45,000 for SkyDam and $35,000 for Roost) and was approved as part of the 5-Year Financial Plan. Each piece will stay on the plinth for a minimum of six months and maximum of a year, and installation begins early 2014.
