2021 Public Art Maintenance

The Economic Development & Tourism Department is responsible for the annual maintenance of the City of Brantford’s Public Art Collection. Public art is often at risk of damage by the environment and/or human interaction with the pieces. Specifically, factors that affect the City’s bronze monuments include humidity, UV light, acid rain, poor water drainage, proximity to city streets, and public use.

In 2021, conservation and restoration of the City Hall Lions, The Great One, Hope, Lorne Park Sundial and Brant War Memorial was completed. An RFQ was released in early 2021 for all maintenance work and the Economic Development and Tourism Department retained the services of Toronto Art Restoration Inc. (TARI) to complete the conservation and restoration efforts.

City Hall Lions

Treatment was completed on the iconic City Hall Lions (formerly known as the Federal Building Lions) in June 2021. These bronze figures were created by renowned sculptor Hamilton MacCarthy in 1915. The artwork consists of two lion figures on granite bases, located on either side of the steps leading to the main entrance of Brantford’s City Hall, located at 58 Dalhousie St. The sculptures are cast in bronze and patinated.

During treatment, TARI conservators discovered that the degraded coating found on the surface of the artwork was not lacquer, as originally thought. The coating was a thick build-up of wax, which had cracked in areas where it was heavily applied. Over time, water, salt, and pollutants penetrated the cracks and were trapped under the wax coating, causing active cyclic copper corrosion, also known as “bronze disease”. The result was bright blue/green deposits of copper chlorides on isolated patches of the artwork.

To address the active bronze disease on the surface of the artwork, areas of built-up wax and surface deposits were removed and the original patina was successfully maintained throughout treatment. Localized patination touch-ups were performed in areas where the wax coating was removed.

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The Great One

Treatment was completed on The Great One, located in front of the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre at 254 North Park St. in October 2021. This piece was created by artist Brad Oldman, with bronze casting completed by MST Bronze Limited and construction by Ball Construction in 2013. The artwork consists of multiple bronze cast figures. The largest figure is on an elevated concrete pad and depicts Wayne Gretzky in a hockey jersey and skates hoisting the Stanley Cup above his head, while the three smaller figures are on an in-ground concrete pad and depict Gretzky as a child with his parents. Also included is a replica section of a hockey rink boards created from concrete, Plexiglas, and aluminum located next to the figures.

Prior to treatment, green copper corrosion products were visible on several areas of the smaller bronze figures and the concrete pad below was green from corrosion stains. Caulking in the joint around the concrete pad (under the bronze figures) had also failed.

Grime and corrosion was removed from the sculptural components through washing and a conservation-grade wax hot wax method was applied to the bronze sculptures. Ageing caulking material in the joint surrounding the concrete pad under the three figures was removed and the joint was re-caulked to prevent excess moisture penetration. 

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Hope

Treatment of Hope was completed in October 2021. Hope is located on Brant Ave. and consists of painted steel, glazed ceramic tile, glass, stone and mortar and was created by artist Heather Vollans in 2012. The artwork consists of a large metal sculpture with an irregular flat ring-shaped frame. One side of the sculpture is adorned with ceramic mosaic tiles and the other side with coloured glass and stones set in mortar. Additionally, there is a polished cast concrete sphere set on a base and two cast concrete planters adorned with ceramic mosaic tiles located close to the main sculpture.

Prior to treatment, TARI conservators noted active ferrous (iron) corrosion at the base and extensive paint loss in several areas, as well missing glass and stones from one side of the mosaic surface. Long superficial cracks were located in surface around openings and there was also a large crack and void at the base of the sphere and staining from ferrous corrosion.

Lifting, flaking and peeling paint was removed and sanded down. Corroded areas of the steel frame were treated and converted into a stable, protective polymeric coating and re-painted. Missing sections of glass and stone in the decorative mosaic surface were replaced with recycled pieces of glass and glass gems. Losses and gaps surrounding the new mosaic pieces were filled using a conseration-grade repair mortar. Cracks in the concrete sphere and planters were also treated to reduce overall water penetration.

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Lorne Park Sundial

Treatment of the Lorne Park Sundial was completed in November 2021. The sundial was created in 1932 by artist Porter Adams, and is located inside Lorne Park on Ballantyne Drive. The artwork consists of a carved granite sundial column and a tiered concrete base. A small bronze gnomon was originally fastened to the centre of the sundial’s platform to cast a shadow and render the object functional. Two large angled slabs made of limestone are affixed to the tiered concrete base on opposite sides of the sundial.

Prior to treatment, the riginal bronze gnomon was missing due to theft prior to 2012, rendering the sundial non-functional. Several holes were visible around where the gnomon was once attached and there were broken-off metal rods, left behind from the previous gnomon, in some of the holes still affixed to the stone. There were small amounts of scaling present on angled limestone panels and green corrosion products on the small bronze plaque. There was also heavy soiling and biological growth on the face of the sundial, angled limestone panels and steps.

The artwork and bronze components were washed by hand to remove superficially-bound soiling, grime, biological growth and corrosion. Wax was applied to the small bronze plaques and a lime-based stone and plaster consolidation product was used to provide stabilization and reduce water penetration. The gnomon component for the sundial was replaced with a low-cost alumnimum (used instead of bronze in order to reduce the component’s value and potential for theft), which was patinated dark and threaded with stainless steel rod for better reinforcement. A heavy-duty stone adhesive was also used to secure the gnomon.

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Brant War Memorial

Treatment of the Brant War Memorial was completed in November 2021. The Brant War Memorial was created by renowned artist Walter Seymour Allward in 1933 (memorial), expanded by Charles Brooks in 1952 (memorial gallery) and the prominent bronze figures displayed at the front of the memorial were created by Helen Granger Young in 1992. The memorial is composed of granite and bronze elements. The artwork is a memorial dedicated to those who lost their lives in WWI, WWII, and the Korean War and consists of several different structures, including a large granite cenotaph, granite memorial gallery with six bronze bullet-shaped ‘torches’ as well as the names of fallen soldiers. Seven bronze figures represent members of the Canadian Army, Navy, Airforce, Nursing Sisters of the Royal Canadian Medical Corps, the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service, the Canadian Women’s Army Corps and the Royal Canadian Air Force Women’s Division.

Prior to treatment, all six bronze torches were missing due to theft in winter 2021. Only two torches were recovered from a local scrapyard with one that suffered physical damage. Wax coating on the bronze figures were failing in some areas, leaving the metal prone to corrosion. The bronze scultpures were washed to remove grime and superficially bound corrosion prdoducts. Replicas of the four missing bronze torches were also custom made by art foundry Artcast Inc. using silicon bronze. All torches were patina-coloured to match and new stainless steel mounting plates were added to all the torches.

Additoinal security measures were taken to deter future theft of the torches and secure them in place. The bronze torch holders were reinstalled prior to the 2021 Remembrance Day ceremonies. A grant was received from Veterans Affairs Canada to offset the restoration, replication and reinstallation of the bronze torch holders.

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