SCULPTOR KATIE OHE ON KIYOOKA OHE ARTS CENTRE + SCULPTURE PARK
If there is one thing everyone has been craving this wild COVID year it is outdoor spaces and time in nature. Our summer newsletter focuses on the emerging sculpture park at the Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre. Floods, zoning changes and COVID have all presented challenges for the arts centre over and above the usual gauntlet of development, but things have gained steam since receiving a new land designation in 2018 and the centre began formal operations in 2019. We sat down with sculptor and visionary Katie Ohe to talk about the plan for the gardens, what they will hold and the road to creating the arts centre.*
photography by www.jeremyfokkens.com / @jeremyfokkens
Where did the idea to create the art centre come from?
We don't have children and we're both artists. Both of us come from a farm background and then came to art school. So both Harry and I, we were on Canada Council Grants, and we had mentors and we had a lot of support. We decided that the best thing to do with this property, because we won't live forever, is to donate it to become an art centre. It can support residencies, emerging artists, it really becomes a research centre and an art hub for Calgary, for Springbank. So it’s growth. That’s our story.
What has the largest challenge been then on the path?
I think it continues to evolve and to grow. Because now what they're working on primarily is the land and the sculpture area. And also, the woods. We're keeping 10 acres wooden because there are animals there. They’re preserving the green because it's being swallowed up.
Will you only have sculpture at the Art Centre or will there be other mediums?
The future pavilion will have paintings, the sculpture can be outside.
I was curious about the botanic garden and its importance to the Art Centre. It's a nice combination.
It’s really important because most artists also have a strong connection to nature. I think it’s good to have the bees and to have the natural wildflowers and also to preserve the land and integrate the sculpture site and include the paths. There are seven hives. The bees need the wildflowers, they fertilize them. It’s really important to keep the land and people integrated because we're almost in the middle of the city. And then we have a very large research library.
Oh, that’s interesting. Tell me a little bit about that.
At this stage, it’s all been indexed. It took years because people would give us books. And then there’s lots of different topics and things. Master’s Gallery, they have quite a few books on former sculptures. They haven't come yet, but they’re going to donate these books. The art collection is also part of the plan and we are in the process of cataloguing it.
How will it all be displayed?
The design is pretty well finished. We’re still in the process of seeking funds to build it. It’s approximately $4 million. Part of it is an art gallery and then we also have to have storage. As questions come up, we pull the pieces out, if they aren’t on a wall. You would need miles of wall to exhibit them all. Harry’s always been a collector.
The paths run all around through the property, I see.
Yes, there are walking paths that go all the way around. When you are driving in there’s a big orange sculpture, so that kind of highlights the entrance.
That piece was at the Calgary CBC, right?
Yes, the CBC moved and couldn't take the sculpture with them. So they donated it. The piece [Steel Wave] is built by Roy Leadbeater. I knew him when I was teaching and he needed space to work. So in that context, I met him, but he's since passed away. We’re proud to have that piece. It's a good piece.
How many pieces have been placed at the centre now?
There are sixteen, smaller pieces.
Do you have a number of pieces in mind to have eventually? Or will that evolve?
We think of it as a growing place because there's 10 acres of land. It’s being landscaped and prepared for proposals that come along. We have a board and a jury to decide — yes or no. We don't want it to become a dumping place.
What elements give a piece merit?
They do have to have an artistic quality. And, wind is a consideration -- so they don't blow over. We look for quality. The jury are artists, who are technically smart to recognize structural weaknesses. And, the work has to be preserved outdoors. All of that has to be considered. Then, is it heavy? Is it light? What diversity? It’s complicated because you have to look at keeping the overall sculpture park interesting and varied. I want to build a doodle out there because there's nothing circular. About a 10-12 foot doodle. That’s still to come if it’s accepted.
How do you imagine people will experience the art centre? Will people come and walk through the grounds independently?
It's as much of an education for people that are interested in art or want a better idea of art. As well, we have the cultural aspect like bees and wildflowers. Sculpture parks are everywhere throughout the world, but Alberta doesn't have one. I think there are minor places that have tried to create sculpture parks but it takes property and it takes money and it takes a lot of work.
* This interview has been edited for length and clarity.