Dancing Pedestrians

The Work

This pair of cast bronze works is described by the artist as “…2 abstract figures, a child and an adult, playfully dancing…on a downtown street.” The work celebrates human movement and interaction at a key intersection along Kelowna’s “Main Street”.

The Project

The open, 2-stage competition invited artists to create works of art to be installed adjacent to the offices of BMO Bank of Montreal. The first stage of the competition, launched in May 2001, attracted 24 candidates. After evaluation, 3 artists were shortlisted. Jock Hildebrand’s submission was subsequently recommended by the evaluation panel and Jock was awarded the $70,000 commission in October of that year.

Work on Dancing Pedestrians began with the creation of plaster positives of the 2 figures, one 2.4m high and the other 1.2m high. These were then cut into sections, coated in wax and covered in ceramic slurry. Once kiln-fired at the artist’s studio, the melted wax left room for molten bronze (the “lost wax” process). The individual bronze pieces were then welded together, sandblasted and polished. Patinas such as potassium sulfide, copper sulphate and ferric chloride brought out the hue of the finished work.

The sculpture was the first public art partnership between the City and the private sector. BMO Bank of Montreal contributed $25,000 towards the artwork, as well as a matching in-kind contribution towards installation. The total cost of the project amounted to $100,000, which included competition advertising, artist’s fees, and installation.

The Artist

With diplomas from the Emily Carr School of Art and Design and Okanagan University College, Jock’s studies have included bronze casting in New Mexico and workshops at Washington State University. He has participated in international sculpture exhibitions in Costa Rica, Vietnam, China and Scotland, and his work is held in public and private collections both in Canada and abroad.