Guest post written by Lori Kallay
When opportunity rings your doorbell, or in my case, Facebook messenger, you should always answer.
The best ideas start from a grain of a thought, a kernel of inspiration, and then – if you are determined and focused – they become more than a bloom; they can become the entire garden. That was the case when David Dossett messaged me with an idea: a wonderful concept designed to get us outside and have something meaningful to experience other than frigid temperatures and knee deep snow.
Don’t get me wrong, we can’t escape those elements that are intrinsic to our national culture, but the journey surely must be able to inspire more than cold wet feet and hands that seem to have lost the feeling in a more than a few fingers.
No, we are talking about a reason to walk, drive, or cycle with a purpose. So in an effort to get the boring out of winter, David conceived Froid’Art. It is a brilliant display of work by a dozen artists scattered about the central area of downtown Kingston (and a special surprise for Napanee). David’s concept gave us this super power to embrace winter; a power we hope to share with all the folks of Kingston. This sounds exciting doesn’t it? That’s because it is!
We (the artists) all started with the same basic tools ~ a 16” x 36” piece of clear Mylar, some Sharpie markers or acrylic paint and a desire to contribute. There were no rules on our imagery; we could go where our inspirations took us. We imagined summer farm fields and whales and flowers. Pretty birch trees and sassy girls donned our Mylar, but the outcome would be more than we believed.
David took our work and had them frozen solid into 300 pound (136.078 kilograms for the purists out there) blocks of crystal clear ice. There is a depth and beauty to the finished work that we could not have envisioned. There, suspended, embedded, enshrined within this perfect ice, was our work. A frame of embracing cold that somehow could make you feel warm. The work took on new dimensions. It gained a holographic quality, it gleamed!
This public art project is designed to get us out of the house and really look around our neighbourhoods. As a landscape artist I embrace the outdoors, it is my muse. The Froid’Art project took my philosophy to a whole new level.
I think what I love the most is the intention to get people outside; to have a dual experience of enjoying the winter air and seeing amazing art. It is very compelling, the idea that around the next corner is a new surprise. It creates an environment to observe, to forget about the daily mundane things we all face and gain a renewed sense of community. They are like giant paper weights that have the superpower to unite a community, to bring a smile to our cold cheeks, and inspire us to really see what surrounds us.
Oh, and they help us know that there is beauty in all of our wonderful seasons. A reason to get up, get out and engage; now that is what I consider a superpower!
More Information
Follow Froid d’art Kingston on their Facebook page! They would appreciate comments/feedback so please like and comment. Should they do this again next year?
