Long-delayed Dundas Driving Park art project needed repairs two days after installation
City of Hamilton staff were getting a quote on repair costs for The Big Bounce public art project less than two days after installing it in Dundas Driving Park, following a seven-year delay in the project's implementation.
Total costs for installation and repairs are not yet known. The city apparently spent $109,315 of the project's $145,000 budget before installing the five granite balloons" on Nov. 1 this year. Five concrete bases were poured in late September. The project was originally scheduled for installation in 2015. After several delays, the most recent target was spring 2023.
Installed along a path in the Driving Park on Tuesday, Nov. 1, the balloon" closest to the park entrance was cracked by Thursday, Nov. 3.
City spokesperson Michelle Shantz said the five separate balloons were placed in the park without originally planned strings" of metal attached, to avoid creating tripping hazards.
City staff are working to obtain a quote on repair work for the structure. A timeline for repairs has not yet been set," Shantz said.
She said staff are investigating stabilization and repair options, which may need to wait until spring.
Following several delays due to staffing changes, problems incorporating images and words onto the granite balloons and COVID-19 shutdowns, Shantz said in September the project was scheduled to be installed in spring 2023.
Staff are extremely pleased that they were able to better the launch date of spring 2023 and to see children playing on the balloons this past weekend," Shantz said. It is definitely a good news story for the community."
The Big Bounce was proposed to feature five granite balloons that appear to be bouncing along the ground. Historic photos of the town of Dundas and the Dundas Driving Park were to be sandblasted into the granite.
Each of the balloons were planned to be four feet high and six feet long, with historic images on each balloon. They were all to be attached to two underground concrete foundations, measuring 36 by 36 inches and 24 by 24 inches. Removal of the metal strings" also resulted in removing a second concrete base - possibly leading to the completion of installation on Nov. 1 instead of next spring.
A concept statement from British Columbia artists Paul Slipper and Mary Ann Liu stated the goal was to create a sense of celebration and reflect on local history.
Balloons are one of the most recognizable icons for celebrations in modern times," the artists' concept states. They evoke memories of events such as sporting events, family picnics, parades, birthdays and happy occasions."
As previously reported, Slipper and Liu were awarded a commission through a juried process in April 2015 and installation was first anticipated in summer 2015. It was delayed several times since.
A previous public art project, Racing Carousel," was installed in the Dundas Driving Park 10 years ago to recognize the park's past as a horse racing track and as a place for children.