The National Capital Commission (NCC) spent $14,000 on a controversial new public art installation featuring a dead crow made from recycled tires, True North has learned.
In a statement, NCC senior manager of strategic communications Valerie Dufour said the When the Rubber Meets the Road sculpture “is being rented by the National Capital Commission from the original artist, Gerald Beaulieu, for a period of one year at a cost of $14,022.”
The NCC’s initiative drew scathing remarks on social media for its garish aesthetic.
“Looks like a dead bird or someone left a garbage bag on the curb. I know this route quite well and this area is screaming for better lighting in the dark. Definitely not this,” said True North’s Rupa Subramanya.
Dufour defended the art installation, and said the cost is aligned with rates recommended by CARFAC (Canadian Artists’ Representation/Le Front des artistes canadiens) for fair compensation of artists. The agreement includes shipment, installation, and insurance for the artwork.
She added that the art aligns with LeBreton Flats’ focus on sustainability.
“This particular artwork was selected for temporary display at LeBreton Flats due to the connections that can be drawn between the piece and the Building LeBreton project,” Dufour said. “The sculpture is made entirely of recycled tires, symbolic of the debris that can be found in the former landfill at LeBreton Flats. The piece also responds to the plan’s guiding principles of Foster Sustainability by re-using materials, and Value Nature through the artwork’s message regarding human impact on wildlife.”
Dufour says Heritage Canada helped facilitate the project by connecting the NCC with suitable options drawn from previous public art selection processes. The dead crow sculpture “was submitted by the artist in 2018 as part of a juried evaluation of existing artworks for temporary display in federally managed locations in Canada’s Capital region.”
Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation Federal Director Franco Terrazzano criticized the NCC in a statement to True North, saying “the NCC once again proves that it is only competent at wasting taxpayers’ money.”
“People are barely scraping by and the NCC thinks it’s a good idea to spend tax dollars on a bunch of tires on the side of the road? The NCC has no sense of priorities.”
The NCC also responded to criticism on Twitter, writing, “glad everyone loves the new art. Now that we have your attention, this piece has quite a profound message. The artwork invites us to reflect on how we impact our environment and the creatures that inhabit our shared spaces.
“This large crow lies flat on the ground in a way that resembles roadkill, symbolizing the collision between human and natural worlds.”
The NCC says on its website that it works every day “to build an inspiring capital that is a source of pride for all Canadians.”
