I was asked to create a sculpture to remember Indigenous children lost or forgotten to the residential school system.  I used a story I heard as the inspiration.   For Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island, it is believed we come from the stars and when we pass, we return to the stars.   One specific constellation is identified, today known as the Little Dipper or Pleiades, then known as The Hole in the Sky.

For children that never got to know their culture and where they come from, the sculpture acts a guiding post to show them the way back home and finally reunite them with their ancestors.  It is also a portal to talk through, the hole in sky draws loved ones that have passed near and you can talk to them on the other side.

A smudge bowl, an idea of the Friendship Centre, was also added and was used to smudge the park when the park was completed. The centre of each star has a spiral cut into it, the symbol for the sun to many Indigenous cultures. This along with its high polish is designed to shine bright and twinkle as the sun passes across the south each day, glistening over the park and towards the hospital.

I recruited one of my gallery artists, Alessio Zilli to manufacture the piece.  Alessio is a gifted knife maker from Switzerland, now in GP with a background of working on public sculpture in Europe.  The sculpture is 100% stainless steel. Alessio, thank you for your knowledge and expertise.  Thank you to Northern Mat and Bridge for funding the project.

This is my second public sculpture in Grande Prairie, if everything falls into place, I will be adding three more in 2023.