Barrie artist selected to create public art piece for World Cup

A sculpture of a beaver created by Barrie, Ont. artist Monica Loney, part of a public art display to be featured in Toronto for the FIFA World Cup. (Monica Loney)

A Simcoe County artist is about to get her work in front of thousands of people from around the world.

Monica Loney from Barrie has been chosen to create the main welcome sculpture in a major public art initiative that will be on display in Toronto’s Old Town during the FIFA World Cup.

The initiative, led by the Old Town Toronto BIA in partnership with STEPS Public Art, will feature 48 beaver sculptures representing countries competing in the World Cup.

Loney’s sculpture will be the centrepiece of the display called The Great Beaver Quest, carrying with it deep cultural and personal meeting.

“This sculpture tells a story of connection,” Loney says.

The design is a nod to her Indigenous roots.

The beaver is covered in flags from different countries along with black lines interwoven all around that she says was inspired by Woodland style art, an Indigenous art form started by Ojibwe artist Norval Morrisseau. Loney says the lines are like pathways meant to symbolize the interconnectedness of land, water and people.

There is also dot work throughout the sculpture, which Loney says is inspired by Métis floral beadwork traditions, a symbol of family, resilience and a strong connection to the land. She explains each dot represents a person and while small by itself, it becomes greater than itself when part of a whole.

She calls the piece “an enduring Canadian emblem,” that represents a layered narrative about connection, identity and shared experience.

“The work as a whole speaks to Canada’s identity as a place shaped by nature and Indigenous heritage, offing a message of diversity, unity, and coexistence,” says Loney.

Loney says the BIA is working on a website for an interactive component of the public art project.

She will be delivering the art piece to Toronto at the end of May with the public art display to be up through the summer until September.

While Loney says she has made progress on the sculpture, it’s not done yet.