Faith

The sun has come out and at last there is something to report. Gord has moved out of the studio on Yew Road in Sechelt where he was conducting experiments on what he calls ‘sublimation’. He and Jaz spent a sunny afternoon at the site, cleaning up.

But more front-and-center: the location where Ice Gate is to be situated was changed again. The last time it happened, Gord set about to create a completely new design to fit the new location, City Hall. This new location would require that paintings be displayed on both sides, and that they be encased in a plexiglas case to protect against the sun.


First, we visited & photographed the new site. Then, Gord spent days sketching, making renderings in the computer, printing out top down views, side views, corner views. Designing for weight load, position and hours of sun on the painting, access to water, electricity. Soliciting quotes from suppliers. Consultations with Art. We met with the engineer, the landscape architect.

Then we began receiving emails from Richmond, with several other possible locations for Ice Gate, and it became evident that City Hall location was off.

It turns out, the city had been awarded Olympic Expo 2010 Richmond, a large museum exhibit about the Olympics and they decided to put it at City Hall. The concern was – if Ice Gate occupied the plaza, where would they put the line ups for tickets to this exhibit?

I just didn’t understand. It’s not like you can just pick up an ice painting and plunk it ‘over there’. He’d have to start from scratch and re-design the whole thing again, and there wasn’t time. Next month is April and to be on schedule we need to know whom we’re going to be hiring, how much they’re being paid, for exactly what tasks.

Our budget needs to be solidified; we need to know what materials to order, when and how much. The engineer must analyze and report on the viability of our design. Which means the design, (first approved in Dec ’08), has to be final. We had to get on the same page with Richmond and we had to do it now.

It was a soggy dark day; parking lots and exhaust fumes and mediocre ferry food. We met Connie Baxter, Supervisor for Richmond’s Museum & Heritage Services. We met David Jensen the design consultant for the exhibit. Kate Sparrow presided, and of course Ann was there. (She had changed the sign on her door to read,

If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."

And the upshot was, Gord and the designer would re-visit the City Hall site and solve all those people & traffic worries with their creative minds. And that tickets to the opening of the 'OlympEX'exhibit are $25,000 each!

We walked the plaza again, and Gord found the perfect spot to put Ice Gate! He’s in the city again today to solidify the plans and get everyone onboard, and he’s promised to get some photos to share here.

The wonderful thing I learned about Ann at this meeting was: she’s not into control; she’s a facilitator. In addition to her lightning wit, she Has Faith.

Ari came to visit, just off his production of the wonderful, the sold-out, the colourful and inventive ‘The Listening Jar’.


Next blog: plans for Ice Gate opening celebration – a huge dance. Here's Katherine Denham, (Dance Director) and Connie Jordison of District of Sechelt, discussing the dance at the Torch Relay, which will involve local volunteers & choreographers.