The City of St. Catharines is making sure six outdoor sculptures from Rodman Hall will continue to be enjoyed by the public.
Council approved $133,905 from the Civic Project Fund this week to remove, store and eventually relocate six sculptures from the grounds of Rodman Hall.
Brock University is finalizing the sale of the property, while working with Rodman Hall Arts Centre to take ownership of the gallery’s art collection.
The Centre is hoping to establish a public art gallery in the city to house the Rodman Hall collection, but in the interim has requested the City take on removing a portion of the collection, the six outdoor pieces, and relocate them to an as-yet determined location in the downtown core.
Under a lease agreement the City will take the sculptures for 20 years, covering the cost of removal, storage and relocation, with the centre picking up costs for maintenance of the pieces, insurance and related programming.
“As a City we are committed to fostering arts and culture in our community, it is one of the pillars of our Strategic Plan,” said Director of Community, Recreation and Culture Services Phil Cristi, adding, “these sculptures represent the work of world class artists and should remain on public display for our residents to enjoy. This is a real opportunity to not only preserve these works and their artistic legacy but also to build the cultural landscape of our community.”