Public invited to attend official sculpture unveiling ceremony at City Hall

The City of Saint John, in partnership with Uptown Saint John Inc. the business improvement association, is inviting the public to attend the official unveiling of a newly installed sculpture in front of City Hall, 15 Market Square, on Thursday, October 27 at 11:00 a.m. The sculpture was created by local artist Phillip Savage as part of the Sculpture Saint John Symposium held this summer.  

“The sculpture is titled 'Portal' and was inspired by both the natural formation of sand and stone along the ocean coast as well as the old stone arches of the past,” says Savage. “I wanted to evoke a sense of curiosity and interactivity in the observer. This sculpture invites one to explore, to sit inside, crawl through or to observe the surrounding city through an organic shaped window.” 

The public art was sponsored by Uptown Saint John Inc. and the City is pleased to have it displayed in front of City Hall. 

“Public art is such an important part of our community, and I am happy to see some of the outstanding sculptures created during this year’s symposium stay here in our City,” says Saint John Mayor Donna Reardon. “This beautiful sculpture has now found a home in a location where residents and visitors will be able to enjoy and reflect on it for years to come.” 

Since the symposium’s inception in 2012, 38 of sculptures have been carved by artists from around the word. All pieces now make up the New Brunswick International Sculpture Trail, which runs from St. Stephen to Moncton.

“The New Brunswick International Sculpture Trail has been a decade in the making,” says Diana Alexander, Executive Director of Sculpture Saint John. “We are so grateful for the support of our communities, our sponsors and funders, our amazing team of volunteers and the world class artists that have created these monumental works of art. It is fitting that the eight sculptures created during this last Symposium are particularly spectacular and dramatic. They will take their place in their communities to be a great legacy of public art and an enduring part of the New Brunswick landscape for many generations.”

Two additional artists’ sculptures were installed in the City as part of the 2022 Sculpture Saint John Symposium. They include the following:

• Paul Jaunzems: Revelations – Seaside Park in west Saint John
• Wiktor Kopaczs: Circulation in Nature – Queen Square in uptown Saint John

 For more information on Sculpture Saint John, visit http://sculpturesaintjohn.com/